Cancer patients in England are set to spend less time in hospital after the National Health Service (NHS) approved a new injectable form of a widely used immunotherapy drug.
The treatment, pembrolizumab, branded as Keytruda, is currently given to around 14,000 new patients each year through an intravenous drip, according to reports.
Most will now be offered a jab that takes just one or two minutes, slashing treatment sessions by up to 90 per cent.
Keytruda helps the immune system identify and destroy cancer cells by blocking a protein known as PD-1.
It is used for more than a dozen cancers, including lung, breast, cervical, bowel, and head and neck.
The move also eases pressure behind the scenes because preparing the drug for IV delivery requires sterile pharmacy work that takes up valuable staff time.
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Manufacturer Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) estimates the ready-to-use injection will cut that prep work by 44 Per cent.
For patients, the change means fewer hours in clinic as injections are given in the abdomen every three weeks for one minute, or every six weeks for two minutes, depending on the individual care plan.
Shirley Xerxes, 89, from St Albans, was among the first to try the new method at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
She said the experience was "great" and praised the nursing staff, though she noted it was "not as quick as a COVID jab."
NHS cancer director Prof Peter Johnson said the faster delivery would let patients "get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair," calling the drug a "lifeline for thousands."
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