Britain becomes first country in Europe to roll out injection to treat 15 types of cancer
The UK has marked a milestone in the fight against cancer by becoming the first country in Europe to roll out the nivolumab immunotherapy injection, a therapy that can effectively treat up to 15 different types of cancer, including lung, bowel, skin, kidney, bladder and esophageal cancers.
According to an announcement from the UK National Health Service (NHS England), about 15,000 patients each year will have access to this advanced treatment, thanks to the approval of the subcutaneous injection nivolumab, with the trade name Opdivo.
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This is the first time this method has been applied in the form of rapid injection in Europe, an important step forward to save time and improve treatment effectiveness.
Rapid injection therapy takes only 3 - 5 minutes
In contrast to traditional intravenous infusions that can take up to an hour, nivolumab injections take only about 3-5 minutes to complete. This is a huge benefit for both patients and the healthcare system, especially for patients who need regular treatments, such as 2-weekly or monthly cycles.
NHS England estimates that switching from infusion to injection will save more than a year of cumulative treatment time per patient, meaning healthcare facilities can serve more patients in the same timeframe.
How nivolumab works
Nivolumab is an immunotherapy drug that works by reactivating the body's immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Specifically, the drug attaches to a protein called PD-1 on the surface of T cells, a type of cell that plays a central role in the immune response.
By blocking the signals that cancer cells use to “disable” T cells, nivolumab helps the immune system work more effectively to destroy tumors.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: “Immunotherapy has revolutionised cancer treatment in the NHS. Being able to deliver the drug in just a few minutes not only makes it more convenient for patients, but also helps us optimise our resources and treat more people.”
One of the highlights is that the injection will cost no more than an intravenous infusion, thanks to a pricing agreement between NHS England and Bristol Myers Squibb, the drugmaker that developed nivolumab. This opens up the treatment to a wider audience without placing an additional financial burden on the public health system.
British healthcare industry's progress in the "golden" era of cancer research
Naser Turabi, director of implementation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Innovations like this are key to helping patients get diagnosed and treated earlier and more effectively. We are living in a golden age of cancer research and it is vital that our health systems continue to innovate to meet the evolving needs of patients.”
He also called on the UK Government to capitalise on this progress in its upcoming national cancer plan, by investing more heavily in the NHS and pushing for reforms that will help bring modern treatment technologies to patients as quickly as possible.