‘1-minute’ immunotherapy jab rolled out on NHS for tens of thousands with cancer

The NHS is rolling out a new injectable form of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) which can slash the time the treatment takes by up to 90%, to help patients spend less time in hospital while improving NHS productivity.

The jab can be used to treat 14 different cancer types, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical, and works by triggering immune cells to recognise and kill cancer cells.

1 of the first patients to receive the new time-saving injection on the NHS – 89-year-old Shirley Xerxes from St Albans – hailed it as “unbelievable” to be in the treatment chair for just a “matter of minutes”, giving her “more time to live her life”.

Around 14,000 patients start pembrolizumab therapy each year in England, and most are now expected to benefit from the more convenient treatment.

The new under-the-skin injection replaces an intravenous (IV) infusion, which can take up to 2 hours in total per session, sparing patients unnecessary time in treatment units and freeing up capacity for clinicians to see and treat more people.

The treatment will be given every 3 weeks as a 1-minute injection or every 6 weeks as a 2-minute injection, depending on an individual’s cancer type.

Shirley Xerxes was 1 of the first patients in the UK to receive the new jab at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, managed by East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust.

Shirley said: “I was really happy to try out this new way of getting my treatment. I can’t believe how little time it took.

“I was only in the chair for a matter of minutes instead of an hour or more. It’s made such a difference and gives me more time to live my life, including spending more time gardening”.

Currently, hospital pharmacy teams need to carefully prepare the intravenous bags under specialist sterile conditions, which can be time-consuming for NHS staff.

Moving to the ready-to-administer subcutaneous injection both removes this preparation and frees up vital clinic time and space for more patients to receive treatment.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer said: “This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients and it’s fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver – meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair.

“Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really exhausting, and not only will this innovation make therapy much quicker and more convenient for patients, it will also help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times”.

Pembrolizumab, manufactured by MSD, works by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, releasing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.

Patients receiving the drug alongside other intravenous treatments may continue with an infusion where clinically appropriate.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our National Cancer Plan promised to do more and go faster for patients – already we are delivering that change.

“As a cancer survivor, I know how important quick treatment is, and this roll out will offer quicker, more convenient care, saving patients time and helping them in their recovery with less time in hospital.

“Not only that – it’ll also free up valuable time so clinicians can care for even more people and potentially save even more lives.

“The government is providing the health service with record funding – around 40,000 more people are starting treatment on time, and rates of early diagnosis are hitting record highs. Through innovations like this, we’re making every penny and every second count, and ensuring patients get NHS care that fits around their lives, not the other way around”.

James Richardson, National Specialty Advisor for Cancer Drugs at NHS England said: “This is a win-win innovation because patients will spend far less time in hospital and crucially our clinical teams will have more capacity to care for others. The time saved through this change is a huge gain for the NHS and demonstrates how we are continuing to modernise cancer care for the benefit of patients”.

John McNeill, Oncology Business Unit Director at MSD in the UK said: “We are pleased to introduce this new treatment option for patients that can be administered in 1 minute every 3 weeks or in 2 minutes every 6 weeks – significantly faster than IV delivery. This not only enhances the patient experience for many but also frees up valuable time for clinicians. This innovation offers a practical, patient-centred solution to improve productivity, capacity, and convenience in NHS cancer care”.

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive at Cancer Research UK said: “It’s great news that this immunotherapy treatment, which is already used to treat multiple cancers, will be available as an injection on the NHS. This will speed up the delivery of treatment, allowing people to spend more time living their lives outside of hospital, as well as freeing up time for staff to care for other patients.

“At a time when capacity across the NHS is severely limited, innovations like this are crucial. It’s important the UK government continues to dedicate resources to ensuring proven treatments reach patients quickly and fairly”.