GSK’s Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as part of a combination treatment for multiple myeloma (MM).
The health technology assessment agency has recommended in draft guidance that the antibody-drug conjugate be used on the NHS alongside bortezomib plus dexamethasone (BVd) as a second-line MM treatment for adults who are refractory to, or intolerant of, lenalidomide.
The decision means that eligible patients will be the first in the world to access the combination.
Approximately 6,240 cases of MM, an incurable blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the bone marrow, are diagnosed in the UK each year. Despite available treatments, the disease often relapses or becomes resistant to standard care, with an estimated 64% of UK patients requiring second-line therapy.
Administered as an infusion, GSK’s Blenrep is designed to specifically target the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) protein found on MM cancer cells. As the only treatment of its kind available for the disease, it offers patients a differentiated mechanism of action.
NICE’s recommendation comes two months after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the Blenrep combination and was supported by positive results from the phase 3 DREAMM-7 study.
After one year, 71% of patients receiving the Blenrep combination were still free from disease progression, compared to 51% of those being treated with standard care. The ongoing trial also demonstrated a three-year survival rate of 74% in the Blenrep group, compared to 60% in the standard care arm.
Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: “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.”
Antoine Herbaux, vice president, head of oncology UK, GSK, said the company is “delighted” by NICE’s decision.
“This is a great example of UK innovation; [Blenrep] was partly discovered in the UK at our labs in Stevenage and we are proud that local patients will be the first to be able to access it,” Herbaux added.