Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Credit: James Heilman, MD.

The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Roche’s new immunotherapy, atezolizumab, via the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) for the treatment of patients with bladder cancer.

With the recommendation, atezolizumab will be available for bladder cancer patients who have not been previously treated and are not suitable for cisplatin-based chemotherapy, which represents half of all metastatic bladder cancer patients in the UK.

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The Roche treatment is currently the first PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy available on the NHS for bladder cancer and the first routinely funded major therapy advance for this type of cancer in 30 years.

As an immunotherapy, atezolizumab harnesses the patient’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer.

The therapy helps block PD-L1, which is an important ligand found on the surface of cancer cells that prevents them from detection and destruction by the immune system.

“Looking ahead, it is important that long-term access is achieved and we will be working with NICE to submit further evidence via our ongoing clinical trial programme.”

Roche general manager Richard Erwin said: “We welcome the news that patients will now be able to access atezolizumab via the CDF. This demonstrates the importance of working collaboratively and flexibly with NICE and NHS England.

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“Looking ahead, it is important that long-term access is achieved and we will be working with NICE to submit further evidence via our ongoing clinical trial programme, which will hopefully see atezolizumab transition into traditional NHS access routes as soon as possible.”

In September this year, the treatment received marketing authorisation for previously untreated people with advanced bladder cancer unsuitable for (cisplatin-based) chemotherapy.

The drug is currently undergoing trials for nine other types of cancer.

In August this year, NICE invited Roche to submit a CDF proposal for atezolizumab.