WIREDGOV

Hundreds of people with a rare form of blood cancer could be set to benefit after NICE recommended a new targeted treatment for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund today (Tuesday, 29 October).

Just over 700 people in England are eligible to benefit from elranatamab for multiple myeloma that has returned and stopped responding to previous treatments, and who have had at least three lines of other kinds of treatment and whose cancer has worsened since receiving the last treatment. 

Elranatamab, also known as Elrexfio and made by Pfizer, is recommended in final draft guidance for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund while more evidence is collected about its effectiveness.

Multiple myeloma is an incurable and progressive cancer that affects the bone marrow and has a substantial impact on quality of life and life expectancy.

NICE’s independent appraisal committee agreed that additional weight could be applied in recognition of the condition’s severity.

Clinical trial evidence suggests elranatamab could increase how long people have before their condition gets worse but further evidence is needed to show that people live longer with treatment.

I am pleased that NICE is continuing to focus on what matters most and has recommended this targeted treatment option.

Multiple myeloma is a difficult to treat, rare and devastating form of cancer which can be debilitating, painful and has substantial impact on quality of life. 
There are limited treatment options so I know this drug will be welcomed by patients. This is the latest treatment NICE has recommended for multiple myeloma, with three other drugs also recommended in 2024.

Its use through the Cancer Drugs Fund will give people access to this promising new fourth line treatment while longer-term data on its use is collected to establish whether it is clinically and cost effective.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE

Elranatamab is a targeted therapy given as an injection under the skin, either in the abdomen or thigh.  It attaches to specific multiple myeloma cancer cells and the immune system’s T-cells, bringing them together to help the immune system destroy the cancer cells. It aims to treat the cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

Draft guidance previously recommended elranatamab with managed access for adults after three or more lines of treatment and only if pomalidomide plus dexamethasone would have otherwise been offered. 

However, the company provided further analysis comparing elranatamab with two other treatments and, as it was cost-effective compared with both, the committee agreed the previous restriction could be removed.

Around 5,000 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year in England.

The company has a confidential commercial arrangement in place which makes elranatamab available to the NHS with a discount.

Elranatamab is recommended in final draft guidance for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, who have received at least three lines of treatment, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody and whose cancer had progressed on their last treatment. 

Read the full final draft guidance for elranatamab for treating relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma after three or more treatments.