Around 1,600 people a year in England
with multiple myeloma are set to benefit from a new treatment
option after NICE recommended belantamab mafodotin (also known as
Blenrep and made by GSK).
The recommendation comes in final
draft guidance published today (16 April 2026) and means the
treatment can be offered on the NHS from today for
people whose cancer has come back
after previous therapy.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the
plasma cells primarily found in bone marrow. While it
cannot be cured, it can be controlled with treatment. People
typically experience periods when the disease worsens, followed
by further treatment to bring it back under control.
Patient experts told NICE's
independent committee that the disease can be debilitating, with
complications that seriously affect quality of life. The ongoing
risk of relapse also places a heavy psychological burden on
patients and their families.
Belantamab mafodotin in
combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone works
differently from many existing myeloma treatments. Rather than
killing cancer cells directly, it acts as a ‘trojan
horse'. An antibody carries the drug to the
myeloma cells, delivering a toxic agent straight to its target.
This precision makes it particularly valuable for people whose
cancer has stopped responding to other treatments, or who are
unable to tolerate them.
Clinical and patient experts described
coping with long-term side effects
from previous treatments at the same time as managing a
relapse.
Helen Knight, director of
medicines evaluation at NICE,
said: “Multiple
myeloma is unpredictable and unrelenting, affecting every part of
people's lives. We heard directly from patients and their
families about the toll relapse can take and how vital
it is to have effective options for when that
happens.
“We also heard from
clinicians and patients about how this treatment could be used in
the NHS, and we've worked with the company to ensure more
patients are now able to benefit from it, providing the hope of a
meaningful delay in their disease getting
worse.”
Dr Scott Purdon, Head of
Patient Advocacy at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK,
said: “This is
excellent news and a hard-earned victory for our myeloma
community. We welcome NICE's decision and their commitment to
broaden access for patients.
“This treatment has been shown in
clinical trials to give people remissions of more
than 3 years on average. That's 3 years
people with myeloma will get to live their lives; more time to
celebrate birthdays or graduations, to watch their children or
grandchildren grow up.
“Approvals like this highlight why we
continue to fight for treatment, submit evidence on
behalf of the myeloma community, provide expert testimony in
committee meetings and push for access to pioneering
drugs.
“Until we have a cure, it is
absolutely vital that all myeloma patients are given as many
options to tackle their cancer as possible – no matter where they
are on their treatment journey.”
Evidence shows
that belantamab mafodotin with bortezomib and
dexamethasone extends the time before the disease gets worse
compared with the commonly used combination of daratumumab,
bortezomib and dexamethasone. Early results also suggest people
may live longer on the new combination, although the trial is
ongoing and uncertainty remains.
An indirect comparison with another
widely used second-line treatment, carfilzomib plus lenalidomide
and dexamethasone, suggests the new option works at
least as well, although the treatments have not been compared
directly in a clinical trial.
NICE's previous draft guidance
recommended belantamab mafodotin in combination with bortezomib
and dexamethasone only for people who had received 1 prior
treatment that included lenalidomide, and who no longer responded
to—or could not tolerate—lenalidomide. Today's recommendation is
broader, covering anyone who has had 1 previous line of
treatment, whether or not it included lenalidomide.
NICE expects to publish final guidance
on belantaman mafodotin with bortezomib and
dexamethasone later this month. In the meantime, interim
funding for the treatment will be made
available immediately through the Cancer Drugs
Fund.
Ends
- NICE's final draft guidance on elantamab mafodotin with
bortezomib and dexamethasone for previously treated multiple
myeloma is available (from 00:01, Thursday 16 April) on the NICE
website at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11203/documents
