The National Health Service (NHS) England has announced that a new targeted treatment called quizartinib can be prescribed to patients diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer (leukaemia).
The treatment is expected to benefit patients newly diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) increasing the chance of remission and boosting long-term survival.
In a statement, NHS England said that it is the first health service in Europe to routinely commission the treatment.
Quizartinib will be available immediately through NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund.
AML is known to interfere with blood production making the body vulnerable to fatal infections. However, the severity of the disease can be reduced and in some cases be cured via proper treatment.
In the UK, around 3,100 people are diagnosed with AML cancer annually. Around 27% of them have the FLT3-ITD genetic mutation, making them eligible for the new treatment.
AML with the FLT3-ITD mutation triggers uncontrollable cell growth within the bone marrow. Quizartinib acts as an inhibitor restricting the enzyme responsible for this.
Under the treatment, the adult patients will receive one tablet every day alongside chemotherapy. This would be followed by an additional three years of maintenance treatment to reduce the likelihood of cancer relapses.
Patients, who show improvement in condition, can go for stem cell transplants to increase the chance of being cured.
Quizartinib can also extend the life of the patients who are not suitable for stem cell transplants.
The drug received clearance from the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, earlier this year.
NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer Peter Johnson said: “It’s very good news that patients with this type of leukaemia now have an option that helps their chemotherapy to work better, boosting their chance of remission and long-term survival and offering them precious extra time with their families and friends.
“People who have acute myeloid leukaemia and the specific FLT-3 ITD abnormality will be able to take this oral treatment, quizartinib, which the NHS has fast-tracked.”
Recently, NHS started vaccinating people against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
