World’s First Rollout Of Cancer Jab That Cuts Treatment Time By Up To 75%
Following the green light from England’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the National Health Service or NHS will be the first health system in the world to roll out the seven-minute injection to hundreds of patients each year.
Currently, in England patients receive the life-extending immunotherapy atezolizumab in hospital directly into their veins via a drug transfusion and it usually takes around 30 minutes to administer intravenous jab, but for some patients this can be up to an hour when it can be difficult to access a vein.
But now and within weeks, according to a statement from NHS, hundreds of eligible patients being treated with atezolizumab are set to have their experience improved by switching to the swifter and more comfortable under the skin (or subcutaneous) injection, and this will free up valuable time for NHS cancer teams.
Atezolizumab is an immunotherapy drug that empowers a patient’s own immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells. The treatment is currently offered by transfusion to NHS patients with a range of cancers, including lung, breast, liver and bladder.
It is anticipated the majority of the approximately 3,600 patients starting treatment of atezolizumab annually in England will switch onto the time-saving injection. However, where patients are receiving intravenous chemotherapy in combination with atezolizumab, they may remain on the transfusion.
“The world-first introduction of this treatment will mean that hundreds of patients can spend less time at the hospital and will free up valuable time in NHS chemotherapy units. Maintaining the best possible quality of life for cancer patients is vital, so the introduction of faster under-the-skin injections will make an important difference,” said NHS National Director for Cancer Professor Peter Johnson.
Dr Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is great news for both patients and clinicians. We welcome any new initiative that brings speedier treatment to patients and gives them more comfortable care.
