At the same time as managing the most serious global health
threat in a century, the NHS has struck a deal which will see
hundreds of people a year benefit from a ‘game-changing’ new
cancer treatment.
The new drug, larotrectinib, will initially be used for children,
young people and some adults, and targets tumours according to
their genetic make-up, rather than where they originated from in
the body.
It will be added to the armory of NHS cancer services, which have
pulled out all the stops to ensure that vital treatment continues
to be available for those who would benefit safely from it
The revolutionary treatment is the first in a new generation of
‘tumour agnostic’ drugs to be made available on the NHS following
the deal endorsed by NICE, the organization that ensures clinical
and cost effectiveness.
Larotrectinib, also known as Vitrakvi, can be used against a wide
range of cancers and could offer hope to patients with rare forms
of the disease that may previously have been untreatable.
NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said:
“While NHS staff are working around the clock to deal with the
global coronavirus pandemic, the NHS is also working hard to make
sure that the best care is available for other patients.
“Cancer treatment must be a priority, and that will be advanced
by the first in a new generation of drugs that can cure
previously untreatable tumours.
“This exciting new breakthrough in cancer treatment is the latest
example of how the NHS leads the way in the new era of
personalised cancer care, even when pulling out all the stops to
respond to coronavirus.
“The benefits for patients, in particular children, of being able
to treat many different types of cancers with one drug is
potentially huge, helping them to lead longer, healthier lives."
Meindert Boysen, deputy chief executive and director of the
Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE,
said:
“Histology independent medicines, like larotrectinib, are an
exciting new development in the treatment of cancer. These
cutting-edge therapies can be used to treat tumours with often
rare genetic mutations regardless of where in the body the tumour
originated. The clinical evidence is usually based on extremely
small sample sizes, requiring novel approaches to testing them in
clinical trials and translation into models of assessment for
potential value in NHS practice.
“We’re therefore pleased to be able to recommend larotrectinib
for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund while more data is collected on
its clinical effectiveness, and we recognise the contribution of
our appraisal committee, the company and other stakeholders.”
The drug, manufactured by Bayer, is indicated to treat all solid
tumours with confirmed neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase
(NTRK) gene fusions when standard treatments have failed. NTRK
gene fusions are commonly seen in some rare cancers and
occasionally in the common cancers.
Amanda Cunnington, head of patient access at Bayer
said:
“Today’s positive announcement regarding access to Larotrectinib
for NHS patients in England has been secured as a result of
working closely with NICE and NHS England.
“We are now focused on working in collaboration with the NHS at
national and local levels so that eligible patients across the
country can be identified and treated with Larotrectinib.”
Larotrectinib is set to be available initially for those patients
who already have the confirmed NTRK gene fusion and for those
groups who are most likely to benefit such as children, teenagers
and young adults with rare cancers.
Testing for all relevant patients will be rolled out as soon as
capacity is created in the genetic testing service in the NHS
through reduced need for coronavirus tests.
Molecular testing for NTRK gene fusions is key to identifying
those patients who are most likely to benefit from the treatment
and therefore becomes a first and essential element of treatment
planning.
Patients in England are ideally placed to benefit thanks to the
NHS’s world-leading national genomic medicine and testing service
which means they can be identified and tested, allowing faster
access to targeted treatment, often when no other options are
available.
NTRK gene fusions are thought to drive tumour growth. NTRK gene
fusions occur in less than 1% of the common solid tumours such as
lung, colorectal and breast cancers and are much more common in
certain rare cancers.
