The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Immunocore’s Kimmtrak (tebentafusp) as the first ever drug to treat patients with an aggressive form of eye cancer.
Kimmtrak will now be available on the NHS in England to treat HLA-A*02:01-positive adults with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma, with more than 100 patients expected to be eligible for the drug every year.
Uveal melanoma is a rare and aggressive form of melanoma affecting the eye, with up to 50% of patients eventually developing metastatic disease. Unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma typically has a poor prognosis and, until now, had no approved treatment.
Administered as a weekly intravenous infusion, Kimmtrak works by acting as a bridge between specific proteins on the melanoma cancer cells and T-cells from the body’s immune system, allowing them to kill cancer cells and slow the growth of the cancer.
The drug is the first to use this type of technology and will be available through NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which allows for fast-tracked rollout of new cancer treatments.
NICE’s decision was supported by clinical trial results showing that the chance of surviving three years after starting Kimmtrak was 27%, compared to 18% for standard-of-care checkpoint inhibitors.
Immunocore’s drug was also found to increase average overall survival by almost five months against standard treatment, from 21.6 months to 16.9 months.
Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “This type of melanoma is difficult to treat when it has spread in the body, so it is great news that the NHS can now offer this pioneering treatment, giving people an option that can extend their lives and offer them valuable extra time with their families and friends.”
The recommendation has been welcomed by the uveal melanoma community, with Jo Gumbs, chief executive officer and founder of Ocular Melanoma UK, describing it as a “groundbreaking moment for individuals with metastatic uveal melanoma”.
Sharing a similar sentiment, Susanna Daniels, chief executive officer of Melanoma Focus, said: “The option to prescribe [Kimmtrak] is a step change for patients and their families, and we continue to support the process so that there is reimbursement for the therapy across the UK for all eligible patients.”