In a landmark move, NHS England is fast-tracking the first-ever drug for an aggressive form of eye cancer, uveal melanoma, to hundreds of patients across the country.
This pioneering treatment, tebentafusp, has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and is set to offer new hope to patients diagnosed with this often-fatal cancer. One patient receiving the treatment described the rollout as “the best early Christmas present I could’ve asked for.”
Uveal melanoma, once it spreads to major organs, is almost always fatal. However, with the approval of tebentafusp, patients now have access to a first-of-its-kind treatment. Over the coming years, hundreds of patients could benefit from this drug when their cancer cannot be removed by surgery or has metastasized, providing them with more precious time with their loved ones.
More than 100 patients each year are expected to be eligible for this pioneering drug, also known by its brand name Kimmtrak®. Clinical trials have shown that tebentafusp can boost survival chances, with patients living an average of five months longer than those on standard treatments.
Joanne Foster, a 57-year-old from Newcastle, was diagnosed with uveal melanoma following an eye test in 2013. After her cancer spread to her kidney and lungs, she was offered tebentafusp last year as part of a compassionate access scheme. Joanne shared her experience, saying:
“Living with uveal melanoma is both physically and mentally draining – I’ve had my eye removed and ongoing treatment for over a decade, with the uncertainty of not knowing what is round the corner being incredibly difficult, particularly with no treatments available until now.
“The news that tebentafusp is now available for hundreds of current and future NHS patients just like me is the best early Christmas present I could’ve asked for. While I know it isn’t a long-term cure, it has shrunk the tumour on my kidney and stabilised my cancer in my lungs, which gives me precious time to spend with my family and loved ones.”
Tebentafusp is administered through weekly intravenous infusions in hospital. It works by acting as a bridge between specific proteins on melanoma cancer cells and T-cells from the body’s immune system, enabling them to kill cancer cells and slow the cancer's growth. This drug is the first to use this type of pioneering technology.
Clinical trials have shown that the chance of surviving three years after starting tebentafusp is 27%, compared to 18% for current standard treatments, which are immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors. The drug was found to increase average overall survival by almost five months, from 16.9 months to 21.6 months.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, highlighted the significance of this development:
“This type of melanoma is difficult to treat when it has spread in the body, so it is great news that the NHS can now offer this pioneering treatment, giving people an option that can extend their lives and offer them valuable extra time with their families and friends.
“This is the latest in a long list of new drugs being made available by the NHS in England to help people to live with cancer, making a difference to the lives of patients and their families across the country.”
Tebentafusp, researched and developed by UK-based company Immunocore, is now available to patients across England thanks to NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which facilitates the fast-tracked rollout of innovative cancer treatments following NICE approval.
This announcement follows NHS England's earlier deal for the beta-thalassaemia gene-editing therapy, Casgevy®, which is being manufactured in the UK. The UK now boasts the largest cluster of cell and gene therapy companies outside the US, centred around Stevenage and extending to Oxford, London, and Cambridge.
NHS England aims to be a world leader in adopting cutting-edge advanced therapy medicinal products, such as personalised CAR-T cancer therapies and potentially curative gene therapies, underscoring its commitment to leveraging the strength of the UK life sciences industry for the benefit of NHS patients.
Image credit: iStock
