'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The innovative seven-minute cancer treatment jab will be made available to patients in England for the first time ever, thanks to Britain’s state-run National Health Service (NHS).
Patients typically get the immunotherapy atezolizumab, also known as Tecentriq, intravenously using a drip. However, hundreds of patients will be able to switch to receiving the medicine by injection once the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) provides permission.
Treatment times will be reduced by up to 75% thanks to the new injectable technology that takes around seven minutes, as opposed to the IV transfusion's 30 to 60 minutes. Now, the drug can be administered under the skin.
Trending
Dr. Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said:
"This approval will not only allow us to deliver convenient and faster care for our patients but will enable our teams to treat more patients throughout the day.”
How will the cancer treatment jab help?
NHS National Director for Cancer Professor Peter Johnson said:
“Maintaining the best possible quality of life for cancer patients is vital, so the introduction of faster under-the-skin injections will make an important difference.”
With the help of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab, a patient's own immune system finds and destroys cancer cells. Patients in the NHS are currently given it for a number of cancers, including bladder, liver, breast, and lung. The majority of the roughly 3,600 patients in England who begin atezolizumab medication each year are anticipated to transition to this quick injection.
Those taking atezolizumab combined with intravenous chemotherapy may continue the transfusion, nevertheless. Due to an existing business arrangement between NHS England and the pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche, the expedited cancer treatment jab is provided at no additional expense to the NHS.
What is atezolizumab?
The drug atezolizumab is a member of the immune checkpoint inhibitors pharmacological class. It is primarily categorized as a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor and utilized in the field of oncology (the treatment of cancer). Atezolizumab is intended to boost the immune system's capability to combat cancer cells.
The drug has been approved to be used in the treatment of the following types of cancer:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
- Bladder cancer
- Triple-negative breast cancer
- Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
It is significant to highlight that atezolizumab is often used as part of a larger treatment approach, frequently in conjunction with other cancer medications. Its use is influenced by a patient's particular cancer type, stage, and other personal variables and should be closely supervised by healthcare professionals because, like any medicine, it has potential negative effects.
According to studies, the majority of cancer patients prefer to receive therapy subcutaneously (beneath the skin) because it is less painful and uncomfortable. In addition, it takes less time and is easier to administer than an IV infusion. The cancer treatment jab program, which has the potential to become an international standard, can completely alter how cancer is handled by medical professionals all around the world.
