Kymriah® is set to become the first CAR-T therapy available on the NHS
The ground breaking CAR-T therapy – Kymriah® – (tisagenlecleucel) is set to become the first personalized cancer therapy available on the NHS.
NHS patients to benefit from Europe’s first full access deal on the breakthrough CAR-T therapy. Pediatric and young adult patients with certain forms of leukemia are expected to receive CAR-T therapy within weeks, after NICE also green-lighted the treatment for entry into the reformed NHS Cancer Drugs Fund.
Kymriah is licensed to treat patients up to 25 years old with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) that is refractory, in relapse post-transplant or in second or later relapse.
NHS England’s commercial deal with the manufacturer Novartis is the first in Europe, and comes less than 10 days after the treatment was granted its European marketing authorisation. It represents one of the fastest funding approvals in the 70 year history of the NHS.
In other news…
- FDA approves Kymriah – the first US gene therapy treatment
- International CAR T therapy trial of Kymriah yields high rates of durable remission for NHL
- CAR T therapy Yescarta® get EU green light but meets resistance from NICE
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, commented: “CAR-T therapy is a true game changer, and NHS cancer patients are now going to be amongst the first in the world to benefit.”
Kymriah costs approximately £282,000 per patient at its full list price.
Alasdair Rankin, Director of Research of Bloodwise, added:“CAR T cell therapy is the most exciting advances in treatment for childhood leukaemia for decades. Intensive chemotherapy can now cure the vast majority of children but a significant number still tragically die every year because they do not respond to treatment. CAR-T cell therapy offers the genuine chance of a long-term cure for children who otherwise would have no other hope.”
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