Around 700 people in the UK could benefit from the new treatment
The National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) has recommended Roche’s Columvi (glofitamab) for NHS use as a treatment option for a type of blood cancer known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Over 700 people in the UK are set to benefit from the new treatment following approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and NICE.
Columvi will be available as a treatment option for adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL after two or more previous systemic treatments.
Lymphoma is an aggressive type of blood cancer that affects the immune system and has symptoms that rapidly progress.
In England, around 5,500 people are diagnosed with DLBCL, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that develops in the glands, every year.
The recommendation and approval for Columvi were based on clinical trial evidence, which showed that individuals with DLBCL reached complete remission with no signs or symptoms of cancer.
Additionally, the evidence suggests that people taking Columvi can live longer and have longer before their condition worsens.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said that the recommendation of Columvi is “good news” as it is “clinically and cost-effective for treating people with this advanced form of cancer”.
“The sooner people can access the best treatment for them, the better the chance they have of living for longer and improving their quality of life,” Knight added.
The current standard treatment options for patients with DLBCL comprise a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplants and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, commented: “This is the latest in a long list of cutting-edge drugs available on the NHS to help people with cancer live longer with a better quality of life.”
The NHS is set to fast-track Columvi as part of the Cancer Drugs Fund and the treatment will become available to eligible patients within weeks.
