A take-at-home tablet which could be a ‘game-changer’ for hundreds of blood cancer patients is now available on the
Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) will be offered to patients whose cancer has not responded well to previous treatment and can be taken either as once or twice a day capsules at home, potentially reducing the inconvenience and side-effects of intravenous chemotherapy.
Marginal zone lymphoma is a group of slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphomas that develops when there is uncontrollable growth in B-cells, a type of white blood cell, which then results in tumour-development.
Some patients can become resistant to current treatments, including chemotherapy, which can also cause patients serious nausea and discomfort.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE said: “We focus on getting the best care to people and improving their quality of life, so we are pleased to be able to recommend anubrutinib for some people with marginal zone lymphoma.
“This is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that can have a profound impact on quality of life, not just for people with the condition, but their families and carers as well.
“Evidence suggests that this treatment increases how long people have before their condition gets worse and increases how long they live compared with standard care.
“People with marginal zone lymphoma are typically diagnosed in their 70s, so there is a need for effective and safe treatment options that are convenient for them to take.”
Dallas Pounds, Director of Services at Lymphoma Action, said: “This decision is particularly important for MZL patients, whose only treatment options until now were chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
“Providing access to an oral therapy is more convenient for many people and offers an additional treatment option for the significant number of patients who relapse.”
