UK to launch world’s first 7-minute cancer treatment jab
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London: Britain’s National Health Service will for the time in the world introduce a time-saving injection to treat hundreds of cancer patients.
The immunotherapy, atezolizumab, involves a ‘under the skin’ injection, which will cut treatment times by up three quarters, according to Reuters.
The new procedure is to be introduced following approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Dr Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said that the approval could enable doctors to threat more patients through the day thus help delivering fast and convenient care.
Atezolizumab, also known as Tecentriq, is usually administered intravenously, directly into patients’ veins via a drip, NHS England reportedly said.
Compared to seven minutes it takes for the latest procedure, the intravenous infusion requires about 30 minutes to an hour for some patients to access a vein, according to Medical Director at Roche Products Limited.
Marius Scholtz said that ‘It takes approximately seven minutes, compared with 30 to 60 minutes for the current method of an intravenous infusion.’
Atezolizumab—introduced by Genentech, a Roche company, help boosting a patient’s immune system to destroy cancerous cells.
Majority of 3,600 patients seeking the treatment of atezolizumab annually will turn to new procedure, NHS England said.
However, patients taking intravenous chemotherapy in combination with atezolizumab will continue receive the transfusion system.