England to introduce the first seven-minute cancer vaccination jab
Hundreds of patients in England will receive a cancer-treating injection for the first time from England's state-run National Health Service, which might increase recovery times. NHS England said hundreds of eligible patients treated with the immunotherapy, atezolizumab, were set to have "under the skin" injection, which will free up more time for patients with a range of cancers, including lung, breast, liver and bladder.
Atezolizumab - made by Genentech, a Roche company - is an immunotherapy drug that empowers a patient's own immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells. NHS England said atezolizumab, also known as Tecentriq, is usually given to patients intravenously, directly into their veins via a drip, which could often take around 30 minutes or up to an hour for some patients when it can be difficult to access a vein.
"This approval will not only allow us to deliver convenient and faster care for our patients, but will enable our teams to treat more patients throughout the day," Dr Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said.
NHS England said it expected the majority of around 3,600 patients starting the treatment of atezolizumab every year in England to switch onto the time-saving injection. But added that, patients receiving intravenous chemotherapy in combination with atezolizumab may remain on the transfusion.
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