Scientists reprogramme immune cells before putting them back in the patient and the treatment has cured people in trials who didn't respond to other drugs
A REVOLUTIONARY cancer treatment that is custom-made for each patient is to be made available on the NHS for the first time.
The wonder therapy costs £282,000 per patient and has been shown to cure people in trials who failed to respond to other drugs.
Scientists reprogramme an individual's immune cells in a lab before putting them back into the body.
The CAR-T cells use their new powers to home-in on the disease and fight it.
NHS boss Simon Stevens will today tell a conference in Manchester that he has secured an undisclosed discount on the treatment.
And it means it will be available to some patients on the NHS in a matter of weeks.
The move comes less than ten days after the treatment, Kymriah, was licensed for use in Europe.
Mr Stevens will tell the NHS Expo: "CAR-T therapy is a true game changer, and NHS cancer patients are now going to be amongst the first in the world to benefit.
"Today’s approval is proof-positive that, in our 70th year, the NHS is leading from the front on innovative new treatments.
"This constructive fast-track negotiation also shows how responsible and flexible life sciences companies can succeed - in partnership with the NHS - to make revolutionary treatments available to patients."
The treatment will be available for children and young adults under 25 with a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
Dr Alasdair Rankin, from blood cancer charity Bloodwise, said: “CAR-T cell therapy is the most exciting advances in treatment for childhood leukaemia for decades.
"Intensive chemotherapy can now cure the vast majority of children but a significant number still tragically die every year because they do not respond to treatment.
"CAR-T cell therapy offers the genuine chance of a long-term cure for children who otherwise would have no other hope."
The first three NHS hospitals to offer the process will be in London, Manchester and Newcastle.
Only 30 patients a year are expected to benefit from this approval but other similar therapies are likely to follow.
CAR-T has previously only been available to patients in Europe through clinical trials.
