Patients in England will be the first in Europe to access a new targeted treatment for a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer.
Within weeks, Mobocertinib will be available to patients with EGFR Exon 20 insertion-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, who have already received chemotherapy.
The deal, brokered by NHS England and pharmaceutical company, Takeda came after trials show that some patients lived for two years after being treated with the breakthrough drug – significantly longer than expected for patients with this type of lung cancer.
Taken in tablet form, this new therapy specifically targets the mutation to slow the growth of cancer cells, with manageable side effects.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, welcomes the news:
“This year I celebrated my 25th anniversary at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and never in all that time have I seen so many treatments for lung cancer.
Mobocertinib is now the latest in a long line that continues to grow, and whilst it may only directly help people with a particularly rare form of lung cancer, it once again gives hope to all those with this disease that another treatment line is coming.
We applaud the work done to make this new treatment available so quickly because, when it comes to lung cancer, time really is of the essence.”
The access comes alongside approval from The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and an early access agreement struck by NHS England, NICE and the manufacturer, Takeda.
Newly approved by the MHRA, the NHS will begin to offer the new drug to eligible lung cancer patients within weeks, following the latest early access agreement reached by NHS England.
Mobocertinib will be accessible to eligible lung cancer patients in England on a budget-neutral basis to the NHS while NICE completes its ongoing appraisal.
