New therapy nearly triples disease-free survival time for some patients with bone marrow cancer in world-first recommendation
Around 1,500 people are set to benefit from new draft NICE guidance recommending a treatment for multiple myeloma.
Patients in England will become the first in the world to receive belantamab mafodotin for this indication following NICE’s recommendation and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval earlier this year.
The NICE guidance recommends belantamab mafodotin (brand name Blenrep, made by GlaxoSmithKline) with bortezomib and dexamethasone as an option for some adults with multiple myeloma at a specific stage of their treatment.
The treatment can be used for people who have had 1 previous treatment containing lenalidomide, and who either cannot tolerate lenalidomide or whose cancer has become resistant to it.
Multiple myeloma is a long-term, incurable cancer of the blood plasma cells. The condition goes through periods where symptoms get worse (relapse) and periods where treatment brings the disease under control (remission). People with multiple myeloma can experience debilitating complications such as frequent infections and kidney problems, that severely impact quality of life, and the constant possibility of relapse can have a huge psychological impact.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said:
"We’re delighted that people in the UK will become among the first in the world to access belantamab mafodotin for this indication."
"This recommendation demonstrates our commitment to getting the best care to patients fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer."
The treatment combination consists of belantamab mafodotin given as an infusion, alongside bortezomib (given as an injection) and dexamethasone (usually taken as tablets).
Results from the DREAMM-7 trial showed significant benefits for people receiving treatment. After one year, 71% of people receiving the belantamab mafodotin combination were still free from disease progression, compared with 51% of those receiving standard care. This means an additional 20 out of every 100 people treated with the new combination remained progression-free at the one-year mark. The evidence also suggests people may live longer, with the trial showing a three-year survival rate of 74% in the belantamab mafodotin group compared to 60% in the standard care group, though the trial is still ongoing.
Belantamab mafodotin works differently from other multiple myeloma treatments by specifically targeting a protein called BCMA found on myeloma cancer cells. The antibody part finds and attaches to cancer cells, while the drug part delivers cancer-killing medicine directly to these cells. As the only treatment of its kind available for multiple myeloma, it offers patients a valuable new option when their cancer has stopped responding to previous treatments.
This draft guidance is now open for comments. People and organisations can share their views on the recommendations until 3 July 2025. After considering these comments, the committee will prepare the final draft guidance, which, subject to any appeals, will form the basis for NICE's recommendations for using this treatment combination in the NHS in England.
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