Thousands of people with lung cancer are to get access to a revolutionary triple-attack drug treatment, health officials announced last night.
Trials have shown the treatment - which combines two forms of chemotherapy with a breakthrough immunotherapy drug - doubles survival chances in the first year in which patients take it.
NHS drugs watchdog NICE gave the green light to a pilot of the new combination treatment, making available to more than 3,000 patients over the next 18 months.
If the treatment is shown to be succesful it will then be made routinely available long-term.
The decision makes a two-year course of the treatment available to adults with untreated non-small-cell lung cancer.
In a pilot scheme, 3,000 lung-cancer patients will receive a combination of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda, pictured) and two types of chemotherapy - pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, over the next 18 months
They will receive a combination of immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and two types of chemotherapy - pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy.
The treatment harnesses the body’s immune system and launches at the cancer, while also blasting the tumours with chemotherapy.
A US trial of the treatment published in April saw 12-month survival rates doubled to 70 per cent using the triple treatment rather than chemotherapy alone.
The trial, of 616 patients, also showed the triple treatment stopped cancer spreading for nine months - four months longer than using chemotherapy.
NICE said that further evidence is needed on the benefits of the combination therapy before it can be made available routinely.
But they said there was enough evidence to make it temporarily available on the Cancer Drugs Fund, which means it can be used until at least June 2019 while more data is collected.
The treatment usually costs roughly £90,000 a year - but drugs giant MSD, which makes the drug, has given the NHS a confidential discount.
Meindert Boysen, director of the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: ‘Over the past two decades there have been few improvements for people with this type of lung cancer so we are pleased to support access to this new option via the Cancer Drugs Fund, and keen to see further data on its effectiveness as it becomes available.
‘NICE recommends that this treatment is given for a maximum of two years, because it is thought that patients do not need to continue treatment beyond this point to achieve the benefits.
‘NICE will consider this point when we review the additional evidence.’ Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, said: ‘This decision is good news for people affected by this type of lung cancer.
‘This drug combination has shown significant benefits for some patients in clinical trials, helping them to survive their cancer for longer.
‘This also shows the value of the Cancer Drugs Fund, which gives NICE the option to approve promising treatments while more data is collected on their long-term benefits.
‘Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK so it’s vital that innovations like this reach patients as quickly as possible.’
John Stewart, NHS England’s director of specialised commissioning, said: ‘NHS England has worked closely with MSD to reach a commercial deal to make this innovative drug available to a new group of lung cancer patients.
‘This is another example of how a more flexible approach to price negotiation has clear benefits - not only for patients, but also for industry and taxpayers.’
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/22/thousands-of-lung-cancer-patients-will-get-access-to-a-life-saving-treatment-on-the-nhs/
Main photo article Thousands of people with lung cancer are to get access to a revolutionary triple-attack drug treatment, health officials announced last night.
Trials have shown the treatment – which combines two forms of chemotherapy with a breakthrough immunotherapy drug – doubles survival chances...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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