BeiGene’s Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to treat certain cases of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL).
The Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which is the first treatment to be specifically licensed for this form of blood cancer, is now available on the NHS in England as an additional option for patients whose cancer has not responded well to previous treatment.
Approximately 2,600 people are diagnosed every year in the UK with MZL, a group of slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphomas that develop when there is uncontrollable growth in B cells.
The disease is often diagnosed at a more advanced stage due to the main symptom being small, painless lumps in lymph nodes, and some patients become resistant to current treatments, including chemotherapy.
Brukinsa can be taken at home as either once- or twice-daily capsules, providing an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy and potentially reducing the inconvenience and side effects of intravenous treatment.
NICE’s decision, which is expected to benefit about 470 patients over the next three years, was supported by clinical trial results showing that up to 80% of patients’ cancers responded to BeiGene’s drug.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: “Evidence suggests that this treatment increases how long people have before their condition gets worse and increases how long they live compared with standard care.
“People with MZL are typically diagnosed in their 70s, so there is a need for effective and safe treatment options that are convenient for them to take.”
Brukinsa is already available to treat two other blood cancers: chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia.
Robert Mulrooney, general manager UK and Ireland at BeiGene, said: “We are delighted that NICE has recognised the clinical and economic benefit of Brukinsa for eligible patients across three disease areas.”
The recommendation comes just a few months after Brukinsa was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.
The US regulator specifically authorised the drug for use alongside Roche’s anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Gazyva (obinutuzumab) in adult patients who have received at least two prior lines of systemic therapy.