In a global first, England’s National Health Service (NHS) is introducing a groundbreaking “Trojan horse” therapy for treating blood cancer myeloma—offering new hope to patients after other treatments fail. The drug, belantamab mafodotin, delivers high-dose chemotherapy directly inside cancer cells, aiming to maximise impact while reducing side effects.
Clinical trials have shown that the therapy can keep the cancer in check for up to three years, nearly three times longer than existing treatments.
Developed by GSK in the UK, the treatment is a type of antibody-drug conjugate—a targeted drug that mimics the body’s immune response. It homes in on cancerous plasma cells, is absorbed, and then unleashes a toxic dose of chemotherapy from within—hence the name “Trojan horse”.
Among the first to benefit is Paul Silvester, 60, from Sheffield, who relapsed last year after a bone marrow transplant. Within weeks of starting this new therapy through an early access scheme, he entered remission. This therapy is absolutely life-changing, Paul said in an interview with the BBC.
He added that it’s allowing him to spend more time with his family and “creating that opportunity to enjoy” life.
Myeloma affects plasma cells in the bone marrow and is considered incurable, with around 33,000 people currently living with the disease in the UK. The new therapy will initially be offered to about 1,500 patients each year.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, described the development as “life-changing”. He said, “Although we may not be able to cure the illness, giving people time free of the disease and free of the symptoms is really important.”
The infusion, lasting around 30 minutes, is usually administered every two to eight weeks. While generally better tolerated than conventional chemo, it can still cause dry eyes and blurred vision due to leakage of residual drugs after killing cancer cells.
Professor Martin Kaiser, from the Institute of Cancer Research, called the drug “very smart” and said its improved safety profile was “really remarkable”. He believes such treatments may push long-term remission rates above 50% in the next five years.
The approval follows a review by NICE, the UK’s health watchdog, which deemed it cost-effective for NHS use. Shelagh McKinlay, from Myeloma UK, said the drug would “transform the lives of thousands,” while UK Health Minister Karin Smyth hailed it as proof the “NHS is at the forefront of cancer innovation.”
Source: BBC
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