‘Fantastic news’ as blood cancer drug approved for use by Scotland’s NHS

A treatment that could help patients with incurable blood cancer to live longer has been approved for use by the NHS in Scotland.

The charity Myeloma UK said the decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to allow the treatment to be used was “fantastic news”, adding that it “has the potential to keep myeloma at bay for more than four years”.

The SMC has now ruled that the drug daratumumab  – also known as Darzalex – can be used together with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone to treat those adults newly diagnosed with myeloma who are not suitable for a stem cell transplant.

With four drugs taken together, the combined treatment is know as DVRD – with Gabrielle King, senior policy officer at Myeloma UK vowing to work to ensure this is “rolled out to hospitals across Scotland as quickly as possible”.

The pledge came as the charity estimated around 320 people could receive this life-extending treatment each year – with trial data showing 68% of those taking DVRD are still in remission after four and a half years.

Myeloma, a form of cancer which affects the blood and bone marrow cells, can not currently be cured – but can be managed with treatment.

Dr Jane Goddard, co-vice chair of the SMC, said that daratumumab, used in combination with the other drugs “provides an effective first-line treatment option to delay the progression of cancer for patients with myeloma”.

Ms King said the decision to approve the drug came after it had worked on “providing evidence to making sure that the SMC heard from people living with myeloma”.

She added: “DVRD has the potential to keep myeloma at bay for more than four years. That’s four plus years people with myeloma will get to spend with loved ones: more Christmases together, more time to celebrate birthdays or graduations, to watch their children or grandchildren grow up.

“But time is of the essence when you’re diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer, so we’ll work closely with the NHS and SMC to make sure DVRD is rolled out to hospitals across Scotland as quickly as possible and that no-one misses out.

“Until we have a cure, it is absolutely vital that people with myeloma get the treatment they need as soon as they’re diagnosed.”

The SMC also approved other new cancer treatments for use on the NHS in Scotland, including lisocabtagene maraleucel  – also known as Breyanzi – for certain other types of blood cancers,  including various types of lymphoma.

It also backed the use of cemiplimab – also known as Libtayo – for the first-line treatment of adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Dr Goddard said: “Lisocabtagene maraleucel provides an effective CAR-T cell therapy treatment option for those B-cell lymphoma patients who have relapsed after or not responded to first-line treatment.

“Cemiplimab provides an immunotherapy treatment option for patients with NSCLC, which we know will be welcomed.”