NHS patients living with advanced anal cancer can now benefit from a new life-extending treatment, hailed by the NHS’s top cancer doctor as “one of the most significant steps in decades” for people with the disease.
The NHS rollout follows a major clinical trial which found that patients receiving the treatment lived on average 11 months longer than patients who received chemotherapy alone.
Around 250 patients per year living with advanced anal cancer will be eligible to receive retifanlimab, an immunotherapy that boosts the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells, helping to stop the progression of cancer.
In trials, patients receiving retifanlimab alongside chemotherapy had an average survival length of almost three years (32.8 months), compared to 22.2 months with chemotherapy alone, with some patients experiencing much longer-lasting responses to treatment.
Retifanlimab will be offered to patients whose cancer has spread or has come back locally and cannot be removed with surgery, following approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The treatment has been approved for use in the UK, recommended by NICE and made available to NHS patients within a week, following close working across the health system to speed up access to new treatments.
Thanks to NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which fast-tracks innovative new treatments to eligible patients, roll out of the drug can start from today.
Around 1,600 people are diagnosed with anal cancer in the UK each year, with incidence rates increasing significantly over recent decades. While the disease can often be treated successfully when found early, treatment options have previously been much more limited for people with advanced cancer.
Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, said: “Access to this life-extending drug is one of the most significant steps in decades for people living with advanced anal cancer – and this treatment can give them precious extra time with their family and loved ones.
“For a type of cancer which has become more common, and where very few new treatments have been invented, this represents major progress, and NHS fast-tracking access to the drug means eligible patients can start benefiting from it straight away.”
Retifanlimab, which has been manufactured by pharmaceutical company, Incyte Biosciences, is the first ever immunotherapy specifically approved for advanced anal cancer, offering a new treatment option for patients who have historically had limited treatment choices.
The treatment is given through a drip once every four weeks for up to a year, initially alongside standard chemotherapy.
Pete Williams, General Manager UKI & Head of Mid-Size Markets at Incyte Biosciences, said: “We are pleased that retifanlimab has been approved for adults with advanced anal cancer in England.
“Today’s news represents a significant milestone for a patient community that has historically seen limited therapeutic advances and demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration. We look forward to continuing to work with the NHS to support access to retifanlimab for eligible patients.”
David Winterflood, Chief Executive at the Anal Cancer Foundation, said: “Individuals and families facing anal cancer encounter challenges at every stage of the journey, from getting a timely diagnosis to navigating treatment and life beyond it.
“Today’s approval of the immunotherapy retifanlimab adds a new tool to the treatment arsenal for people whose cancer has returned or spread. For a cancer that has been overlooked for too long, this advance brings much-needed attention and hope for continued progress.”
The National Cancer Plan committed to increasing access to the best innovative cancer treatments for all, with the Cancer Drugs Fund helping to ensure that patients in England receive new cancer treatments faster.