Tens of thousands of patients could benefit from a new rapid immunotherapy injection on the NHS, available for more than a dozen cancers and administered in seconds.
The NHS has introduced a new, faster way to deliver a powerful cancer drug called
pembrolizumab (brand name
Keytruda).
Previously, this treatment required patients to sit in a hospital chair for up to two hours while the drug was slowly administered to the patient intravenously (IV).
Now, tens of thousands of patients in England can receive the same treatment as a simple subcutaneous (or ‘under-the-skin’) injection that takes as little as 60 seconds.
How it works
Immunotherapy treatment works by "taking the brakes off" the immune system. It blocks a protein called PD-1 that cancer cells use to hide, allowing a patient’s immune cells to
recognize and destroy the cancer.
The use of the Keytruda drug itself hasn't changed, but it has been made more concentrated with an added component to help the body absorb it quickly through fatty tissue, usually in the stomach or thigh.
Potential Gamechanger
It is said the jab can see treatment times reduced by up to 90% and depending on the diagnosis it would be given as a 1-minute injection every three weeks, or as a 2-minute dose every six weeks.
The treatment is also seen to be less invasive, as it would replace the need for a cannula (a tube in the vein) which many patients find less stressful.
In addition, the ready-to-use injections will not require the same complex preparation in hospital pharmacies as IV bags.
In turn, this would potentially free up pharmacy staff, treatment chairs, and appointments; allowing the NHS to treat more people and reduce waiting times.
Who is eligible?
At the time of writing, around 14,000 patients in England start pembrolizumab every year, and most are expected to be eligible for this faster version.
It is currently used to
treat 14 different types of cancer. This includes:
- Lung and breast cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Cervical, bowel, and stomach cancer
- Melanoma (skin cancer)
More
details about this new treatment can be found on the NHS
website.