Mother’s joy as NHS approves cancer drug that gave son relief

The mother of Bradley Lowery, the terminally ill young Sunderland fan whose friendship with footballer Jermain Defoe moved millions of people, has hailed the decision by the NHS to offer treatment that prolonged his life.

Gemma Lowery said she was “overjoyed” that dinutuximab beta had been recommended for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) under final draft guidance published today. While there was “uncertainty around long-term clinical benefit” of the drug, Nice said the “potential survival gain” offered by its use was “substantial”.

Bradley died last July at the age of six, after first being diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that affects around 100 children each year in the UK, mostly under-fives, when he was 18 months.

Mrs Lowery, of Blackhall, Co Durham, said: “Making it available on the NHS for children with high-risk neuroblastoma will be a huge relief for parents and will give them hope. I know first-hand this drug is a huge benefit to children.”