Targeted drug that extends the life of people with lung cancer approved for NHS

Durvalumab, also known as Imfinzi, is an immunotherapy that helps the body fight cancer and could benefit hundreds of patients in England with an aggressive form of the disease called limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

This is when cancer is contained in a single area on one side of the chest and has not progressed following initial treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

SCLC grows quickly and spreads to other areas of the body and most people have advanced disease by the time they are diagnosed.

However, in about a third of people, the cancer is contained in a single area, making it suitable for the drug.

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Symptoms of lung cancer, which has a poor prognosis, include breathlessness, coughing up blood, chest pain and weight loss.

Just over 1,000 people in England are diagnosed with limited stage SCLC each year and it is estimated that 530 people could benefit from the new medicine.

Durvalumab, from AstraZeneca, is given via a drip every two to four weeks.

Clinical trial results show it significantly increased overall survival and progression-free survival in people where the cancer had not spread following chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Overall, people taking durvalumab typically survived for 55.9 months compared with 33.4 months for those taking a placebo.

Meanwhile, the amount of time people had without the disease getting worse was 16.6 months for those on durvalumab and 9.2 months for those on placebo.

There are no standard treatments for people with limited-stage SCLC that has not progressed after chemoradiotherapy, with only active monitoring of the disease currently offered.

Surgery may be an option for some people but is not possible for most patients with the disease.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), said: “This is a devastating disease with a poor prognosis, so a drug proven to improve the length and quality of people’s lives, giving them more precious time with their family and friends, is most welcome.

“This is the first immunotherapy Nice has recommended for limited-stage small cell lung cancer, and we are determined to ensure we continue focusing on what matters most by getting the best care to people fast.”

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “This decision offers a huge step forward for people diagnosed with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, a disease where progress has been desperately overdue.

“For more than two decades, patients with this form of lung cancer have faced the same treatment options with little change in outcomes.

“Now, there is a treatment that can extend survival and give people more precious time with their loved ones.

“On behalf of everyone affected by lung cancer, we welcome Nice’s recommendation and the hope it brings to families facing this devastating diagnosis.”