‘Trojan horse’ treatment recommended for people with multiple myeloma
Around 1,600 people a year in England with multiple myeloma are set to benefit from a new treatment option after we recommended belantamab mafodotin (also known as Blenrep and made by GSK).
Our recommendation comes in final draft guidance and means the treatment can be offered on the NHS from today for people whose cancer has come back after previous therapy.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 our 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.
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.
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.
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.
Dr Purdon continued: “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.”
Our previous draft guidance recommended the treatment 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.
We expect 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.