NHS strikes deal on lung cancer drug that prolongs life

 Treatment for lung cancer that can improve life expectancy by a year is to be rolled out across the health service.

NHS England has approved the use of Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, after a deal with the producer.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in Britain and accounts for 13 per cent of new cases, according to Cancer Research UK.

The drug works on late-stage, untreated non-small-cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and accounts for around 85 per cent of lung cancer cases.

Trials have shown the drug, also known as Keytruda, can extend life by an average of 16 months. Only 5 per cent of lung cancer patients survive the condition for more than 10 years, says Pembrolizumab’s manufacturer, MSD. The drug would have cost £84,000 per patient annually and is the first to pass checks put in place for drugs costing more than £20million.