WIREDGOV

A take-at-home tablet which could be a ‘game-changer’ for hundreds of blood cancer patients is now available on the NHS in England.

Patients in England with a form of blood cancer known as marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) can now be offered an additional treatment option which could halt the progression of their cancer and provide an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy.

Zanubrutinib is the first ever treatment specifically licensed for this form of blood cancer, recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use on the NHS today (1 August).

In clinical trials, up to 80% of patients’ cancers responded to treatment with Zanubrutinib, with many of these responses expected to last for several years.

The NHS estimates that around 470 patients are set to benefit from this drug over the next three years.

NHS England used its commercial flexibilities to negotiate a deal that extends access to this treatment for people with marginal zone lymphoma.

Around 2,600 people diagnosed per year in the UK are diagnosed with marginal zone lymphoma. While the main symptom is small painless lumps in lymph nodes, this can often mean the cancer is diagnosed at a more advanced stage, when it can cause persistent tiredness and increased risk to infections.

Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa ®) will be offered to patients whose cancer has not responded well to previous treatment and can be taken either as once or twice a day capsules at home, potentially reducing the inconvenience and side-effects of intravenous chemotherapy.

Marginal zone lymphoma is a group of slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphomas that develops when there is uncontrollable growth in B-cells, a type of white blood cell, which then results in tumour-development.

Some patients can become resistant to current treatments, including chemotherapy, which can also cause patients serious nausea and discomfort.

Frank Burrows, 66, from North Somerset, who was diagnosed with marginal zone lymphoma six years ago, said: “Having a drug like Zanubrutinib is a game-changer for people with marginal zone lymphoma and I’m delighted that it is now available on the NHS and gives people like me who are facing this cancer a whole new choice.

“The chemotherapy I had could knock the cancer all the way back, but it couldn’t cure it. You can go through chemotherapy two or three times but then your body can’t have any more and there is no further treatment available. It also puts a lot of strain on your immune system, and you can pick up all sorts of illnesses very quickly.

“I know that this drug gives me a treatment option if my cancer comes back and being able to take just the pill at home twice a day takes a lot of stress and anxiety out of the equation, compared to needing to go to hospital for treatment – it allows you to just get on with life. It’s amazing that this treatment is now available, and it is going to give hope and higher quality of life for people with marginal zonal lymphoma.”

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for cancer, said: “As the first treatment of its kind for this type of blood cancer, Zanubrutinib is a great step forward for patients whose disease has progressed during or following other treatments.

“This is the latest example of our efforts to improve the lives of those facing cancer, like Frank, and will give patients another treatment option, which can be taken in the comfort of their own homes and help them live more ‘normal’ lives, free from the harsh side-effects of chemotherapy.”

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE said: “We focus on getting the best care to people and improving their quality of life, so we are pleased to be able to recommend Zanubrutinib for some people with marginal zone lymphoma.

“This is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that can have a profound impact on quality of life, not just for people with the condition, but their families and carers as well.

“Evidence suggests that this treatment increases how long people have before their condition gets worse and increases how long they live compared with standard care. People with marginal zone lymphoma are typically diagnosed in their 70s, so there is a need for effective and safe treatment options that are convenient for them to take.”

Dallas Pounds, Director of Services at Lymphoma Action, said: “This decision is particularly important for MZL patients, whose only treatment options until now were chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Providing access to an oral therapy is more convenient for many people and offers an additional treatment option for the significant number of patients who relapse.”

Dr Robert Mulrooney, General Manager UK and Ireland at manufacturer BeiGene, said: “We are delighted that NICE has recognised the clinical and economic benefit of BRUKINSA for eligible patients across three disease areas: chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia and now MZL. This recommendation is the latest example of our commitment to making innovative cancer medicines like BRUKINSA accessible and affordable for patients with hematological malignancies in the UK.”