The NHS is fast-tracking a new lung cancer drug for eligible patients that will target an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
Patients in England will be the first in Europe to access a new lung cancer drug called mobocertinib. This is the only precision drug available to patients with a mutation-driven, advanced form of lung cancer who have already received chemotherapy.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “It is fantastic news that patients in England with this extremely rare and aggressive form of lung cancer will be the first in Europe to receive this game-changing treatment thanks to another deal struck by the NHS.”
The availability of the medication is part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which is committed to providing groundbreaking treatments and therapies for patients and providing faster access to promising new cancer treatments on the NHS.
Game-changing lung cancer drug
Mobocertinib, taken as a tablet, specifically targets the mutation to slow the growth of cancer cells, with manageable side effects.
Trials have shown that some patients who have taken the lung cancer drug have lived for two years after being treated with the breakthrough drug, which is significantly longer than expected for patients with this type of lung cancer.
The NHS has announced that the breakthrough lung cancer drug will be available to around 100 eligible patients a year with this rare form of cancer that cannot be removed by surgery, which mainly affects younger people and non-smokers.
Early access agreement
The access comes alongside approval from the MHRA and an early access agreement by NHS England, NICE and the manufacturer, Takeda.
The newly approved lung cancer drug will be available to cancer patients within weeks and will be offered on a budget-neutral basis to the NHS whilst NICE completes its ongoing appraisal.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “NHS patients are the first in Europe to benefit from this cutting-edge new treatment for lung cancer – mobocertinib is a breakthrough drug which will be a lifeline for those with this rare form of the illness.
“Our early access agreement through Project Orbis, an international partnership, has allowed us to make this drug available on an accelerated timescale – a fantastic example of post-Brexit global collaboration ensuring UK patients receive the best possible care and treatment for cancer”.
The deal has been agreed with drug manufacturer Takeda under Project Orbis, which is an international partnership between medicines regulators in the UK, US, Australia and others, set up to speed up the approval process for promising cancer treatments.
Helen Knight, programme director in the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to work with Takeda, the MHRA and NHS England to reach an agreement to make mobocertinib available for people with this type of lung cancer while we complete our evaluation.
“Collaboration is critical to our role in bringing innovative treatments to patients as rapidly as possible”.
