People with blood cancer to benefit from innovative new treatment on the NHS

Hundreds of people in England with aggressive blood cancer are set to benefit from an innovative new treatment that reprogrammes a patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease after it was recommended for NHS use.

Lisocabtagene maraleucel – also called liso-cel or Breyanzi and made by Bristol Myers Squibb – has been given the green light by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The type of Car T-cell therapy involves taking a patient’s T-cells and modifying them in a laboratory to target and kill cancer cells.

The engineered cells are then put back into the patient’s body as a one-off personalised treatment.

It has been recommended for patients with large B-cell lymphoma – a fast-growing cancer that affects certain white blood cells – in cases when the disease has not responded to initial treatment or returned within 12 months.

The decision is expected to benefit almost 600 patients a year, according to Nice.

Trials suggest liso-cel significantly delays disease progression, with patients living more than twice as long without their disease worsening when compared with standard care.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: “For people living with this aggressive blood cancer, and their families, today’s announcement offers real hope.

“These aren’t just statistics – each person who will benefit from this treatment is someone’s parent, child, partner or friend.

“The evidence we’ve seen shows remarkable results. Liso-cel can buy precious time before further treatment is needed and could even be given as an outpatient treatment, reducing time spent in hospital.”

Cancer Research UK estimates about 5,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma each year.

The new guidance from Nice comes four months after the NHS spending watchdog initially recommended the treatment should not be made available on the health service.

It said manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb has since offered an improved commercial arrangement to the NHS on the £297,000 list price per individual treatment.

Ms Knight added: “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to reverse our initial decision and in doing so demonstrating our commitment to getting the best care to people quickly, while ensuring value for the taxpayer.”

Professor Peter Johnson, national director for cancer at NHS England, said: “This means we now have four CAR-T products across five clinical indications, and more than 1,500 people have benefited from these treatments on the NHS at a price affordable to taxpayers.

“The NHS remains dedicated to funding the best cancer care and it is fantastic we can offer treatments like this to hundreds more patients with advanced blood cancers, giving them real hope of a longer and better quality of life.”

Reacting to the news, Josh Hill, policy officer at Blood Cancer UK, said: “In our UK-wide blood cancer action plan, we highlighted the life-limiting side effects of current treatment and that survival rates for blood cancer in the UK lag behind nations of similar wealth and health.

“Many of the existing treatments are extremely toxic to human cells, so we welcome this decision, which means there are more treatment options for people with blood cancer in England.

“Blood cancer is the UK’s third biggest cancer killer and it’s through research and investment, where we will create the platform for new treatment options. We must also continue to ensure those across the UK get access to new treatments so they too have the best chance of a positive outcome.”