UK regulators have given their approval for a prostate cancer drug that can delay the progression of the disease for more than a year. The drug - Pluvicto - has been given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, as reported in The Independent.
It has been proclaimed as a “major clinical advance” by cancer experts and Pluvito could now be rolled out in the NHS before the end of the year. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men with more than 50,000 diagnosed with it in the UK every year.
It is also responsible for 12,000 annual deaths in this country. A total of 78 per cent of men diagnosed with the disease go on to live for more than 10 years, but that figure has not improved over the past decade, mainly because it is generally detected at a relatively late stage.
Pluvicto's trials demonstrated that the drug could delay progression of the cancer by an average of 12.5 months. It also showed a four-month improvement on overall survival compared to traditional treatments.
In tests, 65 per cent of patients who were given the drug, made by Novartis, over a six-month period experienced no worsening of the disease, which compared very favourably to the 28 per cent who were given hormone treatments and radiation therapy. The breakthrough could now give renewed hope to 3,500 men with advanced prostate cancer, which does not respond to the main forms of treatment.
Steve Allen, acting chair of the Tackle Prostate Cancer patient organisation, said the approval was “another positive milestone for eligible patients and their families”. He added: “Far too many people are still dying each year from prostate cancer.
"Tragically, those diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer will only have about a one in two chance of surviving for five years. There continues to be a real and pressing need for better treatments for people with advanced prostate cancer. This new approach is very welcome.”
Professor Johann de Bono, professor of experimental cancer medicine at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and consultant medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a major clinical advancement for people with advanced prostate cancer who have recurrent disease after androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and chemotherapy. Results from the Phase III Vision study have shown the significance of this precision medicine for patients with advanced prostate cancer, and it is encouraging to see such innovations being recognised by the MHRA with this licensing authorisation.”
The drug approval has come at a time when scientists have argued that public health messaging around prostate cancer might be hampering efforts at early detection by placing a misleading focus on urinary symptoms.
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