UK deploys subcutaneous injections to treat 15 types of cancer

Illustrative photo of a doctor injecting medicine into a patient - Photo: AFP

According to the Guardian , the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has just approved the subcutaneous injection immunotherapy drug nivolumab (also known as Opdivo).

Nivolumab is a drug that helps the immune system attack cancer cells more effectively. It works by blocking signals sent by cancer cells to "trick" the immune system into not recognizing and destroying them.

Nivolumab is suitable for 15 different types of cancer, including lung, bowel, kidney, bladder, esophageal, skin, and head and neck cancers.

Previously, the drug was administered via intravenous infusion, which could take up to an hour. However, with the newly approved subcutaneous injection, each injection will take only 3 to 5 minutes to administer.

The UK is the first health system in Europe to approve subcutaneous injections of Nivolumab, the NHS said, with up to 15,000 cancer patients a year being treated with the rapid-acting jab in the UK.

With each patient needing to receive this drug 1-2 times per month, switching to the rapid-release form would save a total of more than a year of treatment time across the entire system each year.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said the time savings would “allow medical teams to treat more patients” and free up hospital capacity.

“Immunotherapy has been a huge step forward for many cancer patients in the NHS. The ability to deliver the drugs as an injection in just a few minutes will make the process much more convenient,” he said.

The Guardian also confirmed that the subcutaneous injection would be no more expensive than the traditional intravenous method after the NHS and manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb reached a price agreement.

Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK chief executive, said: "Innovations like this are vital in helping people with cancer treat their condition more quickly and effectively. We are in a golden age of cancer research and it is vital that our health systems continue to adapt to deliver the best possible care for patients."

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/anh-trien-khai-tiem-duoi-da-thuoc-dieu-tri-15-loai-ung-thu-20250504192810171.htm