World-first 'Trojan horse' blood cancer drug given green light for NHS

13 June 2025, 09:53

Blood cancer patients in England will be the first in the world to be offered a 'Trojan horse' drug.

Thousands of patients with blood cancer in England are to be offered a pioneering 'Trojan horse' drug that sneaks toxic drugs inside cancel cells.

The medicine can halt blood cancer myeloma for nearly three times longer than current therapies.

In guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave the green light to belantamab mafodotin, which can halt the advance of multiple myeloma.

The targeted therapy, which is given as an infusion every three weeks with other cancer drugs, is a special type of antibody drug that targets and attaches to cancer cells.

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It has been described as a Trojan horse treatment because it works by being taken into a cancer cell and unleashing a high concentration of a lethal molecule to destroy the cell from inside.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said the drug would be life-changing for patients and their families.

“Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies,” he said.

Myeloma – also known as multiple myeloma – is an incurable cancer of the bone marrow, and affects part of the immune system called plasma cells.

These are made in the spongey bone marrow in the centre of our bones.

About 1,500 patients a year in England with multiple myeloma will benefit from the treatment made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Mr Johnson continued: “I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer, giving people the chance of more precious time with friends and family.”

Health officials said the drug would be offered to patients whose cancer had progressed or failed to respond to another first-line treatment.

Shelagh McKinlay, the director of research and advocacy at the blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, said: “It’s fantastic to see the UK at the forefront of myeloma treatment.

“We have been working very hard for the last year to get this treatment approved and we know it will transform the lives of thousands of people with myeloma."

The head of oncology UK at GSK, Antoine Herbaux, said: "Today’s announcement highlights an example of local innovation – Belantamab mafodotin was partly discovered in Stevenage, the first patient to receive it in clinical trials was in London, and now the UK is the first country to grant patient access.

"This milestone is a great example of the power of scientific innovation and open collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for patients in the UK.”