England is set to introduce a groundbreaking seven-minute cancer treatment injection. The National Health Service (NHS) has introduced an innovative anti-cancer injection that has the potential to significantly reduce the duration of cancer treatment. The revolutionary jab could reduce the treatment time for specific patients by up to 75%.
Recently, NHS England announced that hundreds of patients who had immunotherapy will receive "under the skin" injections of atezolizumab, which will allow cancer teams additional time. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorized the drug. The MHRA is a UK authority responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of medical products and treatments.
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Currently, hospitals deliver the life-extending immunotherapy atezolizumab (Tencentriq) to patients via intravenous drug transfusions. This intravenous administration typically spans around 30 minutes, although it may extend to an hour for certain individuals. The drug will soon be administered subcutaneously (under the skin).
Atezolizumab is a targeted therapy drug that belongs to the category of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Treatments include non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults, hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma, urothelial carcinoma, and triple-negative breast cancer.
This monoclonal antibody drug allows the immune system to detect and eliminate malignant cells. Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche (ROG.S), manufactures the medication.
According to reports, the majority of the approximately 3,600 patients who initiate atezolizumab treatment in the country annually are expected to switch to the time-saving injection. The NHS has also noted that patients who receive intravenous chemotherapy in conjunction with atezolizumab may continue with the infusion.
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In clinical trials, it was found that following surgery and treatment, atezolizumab can reduce the chances of cancer recurrence or death by 34 % in individuals with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. This innovative drug functions by blocking a protein that hinders the immune system's ability to target cancer cells and enhances the immune system's ability to detect cancer cells.
The injection takes only seven minutes to administer and will be the first of its kind to be rolled out to hundreds of NHS cancer patients annually worldwide.
Dr. Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, stated to Reuters that this approval will not only facilitate the provision of efficient and speedier patient care but also enhance the capacity of healthcare teams to attend to more patients during the day.
Reports state that the change is expected to happen in the coming weeks, offering eligible patients undergoing atezolizumab treatment a faster and more comfortable subcutaneous injection method.
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Benzinga, a premier financial media outlet, reported that the treatment will be provided to NHS England at no additional cost due to an existing commercial agreement between NHS England and the pharmaceutical company Roche.
Phesgo, another cancer medication, was successfully launched in the country in 2021. According to reports, this therapy reduced breast cancer treatment times to minutes, resulting in rapid patient adoption in the NHS.
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