Scottish medicines consortium approves CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancer

First car t-cell therapy accepted for second-line treatment in Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Kite’s CAR T-cell therapy, Yescarta (axi-cel), for treating adult patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL).

This marks the first time a CAR T-cell therapy has been accepted for second-line treatment in Scotland.

“Blood cancer survival rates in the UK lag behind countries of similar wealth and health and the blood cancer community deserves better. It’s great that people with DLBCL in Scotland now have access to the drug axi-cel on the NHS in this setting, where it is already available in England and Wales,” said Josh Hill, Scottish Policy Officer at Blood Cancer UK.

He added: “CAR T therapies offer hope to people who are often living with the most aggressive forms of blood cancer, and having earlier access to this innovative drug across the UK is an important step in improving outcomes for patients.”

DLBCL, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, affects approximately 450 new patients in Scotland each year. While 50 to 60% of patients respond to initial treatment, a significant portion experience relapse or have refractory disease, necessitating alternative treatment options.

Peter Wickersham, Vice President and General Manager, Gilead Sciences UK & Ireland, expressed pride in the approval: “From the first clinical trials, we have been committed to ensuring equitable access to our cell therapies. We are proud to now offer the first cell therapy treatment for patients in a second-line setting in Scotland, including both those eligible and ineligible for stem cell transplant. This news marks a significant step forward for the blood cancer community.”

The approval was based on two clinical trials, ZUMA-7 and ALYCANTE, showing axi-cel’s superiority over standard treatments in relapsed/refractory DLBCL, with improved survival rates and progression-free survival.

The ZUMA-7 study highlighted a 24-month event-free survival rate of 41% compared to 16% with standard care.