Blood cancer charities have welcomed decisions to extend the use of a targeted antibody for treating multiple myeloma within the NHS in England and Wales.
According to new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the drug, teclistamab, can now be given to adults with relapsed or refractory disease. They must have had at least three lines of treatment, including an immunomodulatory drug, a proteosome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody.
This will extend availability of the drug to about 700 people, NICE said in its final guidance.
In the initial draft guidance, NICE had proposed to restrict the drug only to being an alternative to pomalidomide with dexamethasone. Campaigners from Myeloma UK and Blood Cancer UK pressed for this to be extended, and NICE said it had received new evidence of the cost effectiveness of the drug.
The drug binds both to T cells and to myeloma cells. Recent trials have suggested an average remission of 11.4 months and an overall response rate among patients of 63%.
John Hill, policy officer for Blood Cancer UK, said: “While this new drug is only available to those who have already received three prior treatments, it is welcome news that more people in England and Wales with myeloma will be able to access teclistamab. We also welcome the decision by the drug regulators in Scotland to approve teclistamab for use within NHS Scotland, which means people across the UK have access to this innovative therapy.
“With advances in bispecific treatment approaches set to continue in coming years, it is our hope at Blood Cancer UK that more people will be able to benefit from this class of drugs going forward.”
Caroline Donoghue, senior policy officer at Myeloma UK, said: “This is fantastic news and a hard-earned victory for all involved. Teclistamab is the first of a new class of drugs to be approved on the NHS in England and Wales and could be a lifeline for people who are close to running out of treatment options.
“It has shown excellent results in clinical trials and allowed some people who have never responded well to treatment to experience their very first complete remission.”
Source: NICE / Blood Cancer UK / Myeloma UK
Links: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11418
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