NHS rolls out one-minute Keytruda jab to cut cancer treatment time
NHS rolls out one-minute Keytruda jab to cut cancer treatment time
A new injectable Keytruda could trim treatment visits to minutes, helping thousands of NHS patients across England
A new injectable form of Keytruda is being rolled out across the NHS, with the aim of shaving hours off hospital visits for thousands of cancer patients. Pembrolizumab, the immunotherapy drug, is already used to treat multiple cancers, but the injectable version could dramatically shorten administration time.
Previously, NHS patients received Keytruda through intravenous infusions that could take more than an hour in hospital. The injectable form, by contrast, can be given in about a minute for some regimens, or two minutes for others, depending on the individual cancer diagnosis. NHS England says the change should free up valuable time for both patients and clinicians.
It’s the third immunotherapy of its type that can be delivered by a jab on the NHS, following other advances like Opdivo. Around 14,000 cancer patients in England start a course of Keytruda each year, and most are likely to transfer to the injectable version. The drug is approved for 14 different cancer types in the UK, including lung, head and neck, cervical and breast cancers.
The first patients to receive the injectable Keytruda were treated at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre near Watford. Shirley Xerxes, an 86-year-old from St Albans, said she spent a “matter of minutes” in the chair rather than an hour or more, adding that the faster treatment gives her more time to live her life, including gardening. NHS officials emphasise that the new jab could save time for staff too, reducing the logistical burden of preparing and delivering infusions.
Overall, the rollout supports NHS efforts to modernise cancer care and improve patient experiences by shortening hospital stays while maintaining the effectiveness of treatment.
