NHS England has started offering a revolutionary “trojan horse” drug, Blenrep, which is expected to extend the lives of terminal blood cancer patients significantly.
This ground-breaking treatment reportedly delays disease progression three times longer than current medications. It’s delivered through an intravenous drip every three weeks, targeting a specific protein found on myeloma cells. Once attached, the drug enters the cell, releasing powerful chemotherapy that destroys the malignant cell from within. Belantamab mafodotin, as it’s formally known, could benefit about 1,500 patients annually who suffer from multiple myeloma.
One patient, Paul Silvester, 60, from Sheffield, has been undergoing the new therapy with significant success. Diagnosed with aggressive multiple myeloma in July 2023, he suffered broken bones due to a spinal tumour.
After previous treatments failed, he accessed Blenrep through an early access scheme at Royal Hallamshire Hospital and achieved remission within mere weeks, reports the Mirror.
Paul expressed his gratitude for the treatment, saying: “I feel like this treatment has brought the party balloons back in the house. It has been amazing – within the first two or three weeks, after the first dose, I was in remission. It gives me quite a lot of confidence in the drugs and it makes me more optimistic about the future. I’ve been feeling well and I’m still quite active – that’s what’s important in terms of your quality of life. One of my daughters is graduating from university in October and it’s a goal for me to be there.”
Multiple myeloma, which often impacts various parts of the body such as the spine, skull, pelvis, and ribs, sees over 6,000 new diagnoses each year in the UK, with an estimated 33,000 people living with the condition. Clinical trials have indicated that Blenrep, when used alongside bortezomib and dexamethasone, can extend the period before the disease progresses by an average of three years, compared to just over one year for those treated with the commonly prescribed drug daratumumab.
NHS England’s cancer director, Professor Peter Johnson, commented on the advancements in treating this aggressive blood cancer: “Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies. I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer, giving people the chance of more precious time with friends and family.”
He added: “This treatment could be life-changing for many patients and their families and that’s why it is so important that the NHS continues to secure quick access to the latest, innovative treatments like this, at affordable prices to the taxpayer.”
Multiple myeloma is more common in men than women, adults over 60, those with a family history of the condition and is twice as common in black populations than white and Asian populations. It cannot be cured, and patients often experience multiple relapses.
Treatment typically focuses on controlling the cancer for as long as possible while minimising treatment side effects. The disease can significantly affect quality of life, with the potential for relapse exerting a profound psychological impact on patients.
Shelagh McKinlay, director at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, commented: “It’s fantastic to see the UK at the forefront of myeloma treatment. NHS England has demonstrated that it is possible for myeloma patients to have world-first access to innovative drugs. We have been working very hard for the last year to get this treatment approved and we know it will transform the lives of thousands of people with myeloma.”
NHS England is expediting patient access to the treatment starting today by providing funding through the Cancer Drugs Fund.
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