Takeda UK has received approval from the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for its Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) for restricted use within NHS Scotland, in order to treat adult patients with CD30+ relapsed or refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL).
SMC evaluated cancer treatment Adcetris through its ultra-orphan decision making framework, which is a new assessment process.
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Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital consultant haematologist Dr David Meiklejohn said: "It is great news that eligible patients in Scotland now have access to this innovative treatment option, particularly as patients at this stage of disease can be very difficult to treat effectively with standard treatments."
The approval has been granted to use Adcetris for the treatment of patients with CD30+ relapsed or HL, following an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following at least two previous therapies, when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not an option.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also granted approval for brentuximab vedotin to treat adult patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL).
In a vital phase II trial, brentuximab vedotin has reached primary end point of objective response rate (ORR) in 75% of patients, while a complete remission (CR) is currently around 33%.
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By GlobalDataLymphoma Association chief executive Jonathan Pearce said: "The Lymphoma Association wants everyone affected by lymphoma to have the best possible treatment and care, so we’re very pleased that the Scottish Medicines Consortium has listened to our advice and is making this treatment option available to those people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma who face limited treatment options."
Image: Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. Photo: courtesy of Humpath.
