NHS England spends £160m on new 'Covid-friendly' cancer drugs

Patients to be given treatments less likely to damage immune system and in some cases able to be taken at homeNHS England is spending £160m on new “Covid-friendly” cancer drugs that will be less likely to damage the immune system and, in some cases, can be taken at home so that patients do not have to visit hospital.NHS England said 2,000 patients had already benefitted from a range of treatments approved for use as “swaps” for existing drugs. More will be available from this week, after a series of deals struck between the NHS and pharma companies, it said in a statement.Some of these new options mean that patients can take tablets at home or receive medicines with fewer side-effects instead of undergoing hospital-based treatment that can leave them more susceptible to coronavirus and other infections.Targeted hormone therapies such as enzalutamide for prostate cancer and broadened use of lenalidomide in the treatment of myeloma – bone marrow cancer – are among the options now available. Bowel cancer patients whose tumour has a specific genetic marker will be offered the immunotherapy drug nivolumab.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: NHS Cancer Society Health Cancer research Medical research Science UK news Coronavirus outbreak Source Type: news