A drug that could improve the quality of life of hundreds of women with womb cancer is to be rolled out on the NHS England from Tuesday.
Dostarlimab, also known as Jemperli, is an immunotherapy that works by attracting specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells to help the immune system attack them.
It will be rolled out by NHS England after approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in 2022. Up to 200 patients will be eligible each year.
Evidence suggests that the drug extends life expectancy when used with chemotherapy. It is a monoclonal antibody that is administered with a drip over half an hour under the supervision of a doctor in each treatment.
There are 9,700 new cases and 2,400 deaths from womb-related cancers each year across the UK, according to Cancer Research. The two most common forms are endometrial cancer and uterine sarcoma.
In clinical trials, 64% of patients who received Jemperli and chemotherapy did not see their cancer get worse after a year of treatment. The figure was more than twice the rate seen with chemotherapy alone, which was just 24%.
Dostarlimab was authorized by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in October as a medicine that can be used with chemotherapy to slow the progression of uterine cancer and increase a patient’s life expectancy.
It is the first medicine licensed by the MHRA as a first-line treatment for primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Its most common side effects are underactive thyroid glands, skin rash, dry skin, high temperature or fever, and elevated liver enzyme levels in the blood.
Prof Peter Clark, NHS England’s head of the Cancer Medicines Fund (CDF) said: “The introduction of this drug as a first-line treatment on the NHS is great news for patients living with this type of womb cancer – this new immunotherapy could offer hundreds of women the hope of saving precious extra time to live well before their cancer progresses.”
Helen Knight, the director of drug evaluation at Nice, said: “Advanced or recurrent uterine cancer has a devastating effect on quality of life and there are limited treatment options available.
“We are focused on delivering what is most important and getting care quickly to those who need it, so I am delighted that this treatment option will be made available quickly by the CDF, enabling people with this type of cancer to enjoy more precious time with their families and loved ones.”
