Hundreds of NHS patients with an aggressive form of blood cancer will benefit from a new life-saving treatment, as glofitamab (Columvi®) is rolled out nationwide following approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
From today, around 300 people a year with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) – a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has returned or not responded to chemotherapy – can access glofitamab after just one previous course of treatment. Previously, the drug was only available to patients who had undergone two types of treatment.
Delivered via intravenous infusion every three weeks, glofitamab is being fast-tracked through the NHS Cancer Drugs Fund, which provides quicker access to innovative cancer therapies. Clinical trials show:
- Almost 60% of patients achieved complete remission when glofitamab was combined with chemotherapy.
- Survival rates improved significantly, with 54% of patients alive after two years, compared to 34% on standard treatment.
Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, commented:
“Antibodies such as glofitamab that harness the power of the immune system to target lymphoma, are transforming the way people are treated and helping to boost the number of people cured.
“This is excellent news for patients with this aggressive form of blood cancer, with the NHS fast-tracking this cutting-edge treatment so that more people can benefit.”
DLBCL affects around 5,500 people annually in England, mainly men aged 65 and over, with symptoms including painless gland swelling. The rollout offers hope of avoiding gruelling rounds of treatment and improving quality of life.
Since its launch in 2016, the Cancer Drugs Fund has helped more than 108,000 patients access cutting-edge treatments, with over 300 approvals fast-tracked, including 50 new options in the past 18 months.
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