“This is the latest in a long list of cutting-edge drugs available on the NHS to help people with cancer live a longer and better-quality life.”
John Sharp, 68, from Northumberland, was diagnosed with low grade lymphoma in 2001, which transformed to high grade lymphoma in 2021. Despite chemotherapy and CAR-T treatment, his cancer returned. John started treatment with glofitamab via a compassionate access scheme, that enables the use of a drug before full approval, under strict conditions set by the MHRA in March 2023, and went into complete remission after just three cycles. John was also reliant on a wheelchair prior to his treatment and is now able to walk again and fully get on with his life. He receives treatment every three weeks.
He said: “I can’t believe I’m in remission after so many previous treatments – I can go out now with friends and family, I previously needed a wheelchair and now I can walk. I was as weak as water, and I feel so different now: it’s like chalk and cheese – my family and I are really grateful for this new drug and my treatment at the Freeman Hospital under the care of Doctor Osborne.”
Dr Wendy Osborne, an NHS consultant haematologist specialising in lymphoma at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, said: “The NHS rollout of bispecific antibodies like glofitamab, is set to be a breakthrough for patients with lymphoma and has already proven to be life-changing for John.
“Bispecific antibodies use the patient’s own white blood cells to attack and kill the lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. The antibody has two arms. One arm attaches to the cancer cell and the other to the patient’s own white blood cell, a T-cell. By bringing these cells together, the patient’s own immune system is activated and kills the cancer cell and so chemotherapy is not required. Patients don’t have the side effects of chemotherapy and often feel well on this outpatient-based treatment.”
Value
Helen Knight, Director of Medicines Evaluation, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said: “We are committed to getting the best care to patients fast while ensuring good value for the taxpayer.
“Advanced B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive form of blood cancer and can progress quickly. The sooner people can access the best treatment for them, the better chance they have of living for longer and improving their quality of life.
“This is why it is such good news that our independent committee has found that glofitamab is clinically and cost effective for treating people with this advanced form of cancer, and we welcome the news that NHS England will make this available to patients quickly.”
Pia Ballschmieter, UK Haematology Lead, Roche Products Limited, said: “We are delighted with today’s news that eligible patients in England will now be able to access this treatment. People with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who have gone through multiple lines of therapy have a poor prognosis and need additional treatment options.
“We couldn’t have achieved this without the collaboration and support of a number of stakeholders across the wider community and we remain committed to ensuring that this treatment is available across the rest of the UK as quickly as possible.”
