New drug for leukaemia gets go-ahead in Scotland

A ground-breaking new drug that triggers the body’s ability to kill leukaemia cells has been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Around 600 Scots are affected by Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, with approximately 168 new cases diagnosed each year.

Now for the first time Venetoclax will be routinely available on the NHS in Scotland for clinicians to prescribe – the first roll out of the drug for general use in the UK.

In some cases patients on existing failing treatments face survival rates of only a few months compared to Venetoclax which has demonstrated a progression free survival of over two years, with 77.2 per cent of patients trialled responding to the new treatment. The drug works by inhibiting the BCL-2 protein which prevents programmed cell death thus allowing cancerous cells to be destroyed. Seven people in Scotland have already been benefitting from Venetoclax through the early access to review process.

Dr Mike Leach, consultant haematologist at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, said: “The SMC approval of Venetoclax is an important decision for patients with difficult-to-treat forms of CLL, particularly in cases where existing treatments have failed and patients have limited options left.

“The data and our clinical experience show that patients respond well to treatment with a number achieving complete remission justifying not only today’s acceptance by the SMC but also its inclusion in the latest treatment guidelines. Today’s positive decision has the potential to make a difference to the lives of this patient population.”