This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Skin cancer drugs fast tracked for NHS use
A pioneering combination of drugs to combat skin cancer have been fast tracked for use on the NHS.
The decision to approve ipilimumab and nivolumab stands as one of the fastest in NHS history, taking just a couple of months from the drug combination getting a licence in Europe.
The drugs fall into the field known as immunotherapy and work by stopping cancers ‘hiding’ and harnessing the body’s own defences to attack them.
Trials of the drug combination saw 69 per cent of skin cancer patients’ tumours shrink, with a fifth of people showing no sign of tumours following treatment.
Prof Carole Longson, from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which approved the drugs, said: "These promising new immunotherapy treatments for advanced melanoma look set to significantly extend the life of people with the condition."
Prof Peter Johnson, the chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said: "These results give new hope to melanoma patients.
"But, it's important to remember that more powerful treatment comes with an increased chance of severe side effects.
"Our research now needs to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from this combination and who is most likely to experience the side effects, so doctors can make sure we get the balance right."
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