Immunotherapy injection on NHS offers hope to relapsed lymphoma patients

Getty/Jodi Jacobson

By Olivia Bowthorpe

Around 250 people a year with relapsed follicular lymphoma are set to benefit from an injectable immunotherapy treatment on the NHS.

Draft guidance from NICE has backed the treatment epcoritamab for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma who have limited treatment options.

Research suggests the treatment can give patients longer before their lymphoma relapses and improves overall survival.

Follicular lymphoma is the most common low-grade lymphoma and is considered incurable.

About 2,400 diagnoses are made each year in England and although many patients respond well to initial treatment, relapses are common, with treatment options becoming increasingly limited.

NICE has recommended that the injection is available for adults in England and Wales whose cancer has returned or stopped responding after two or more lines of therapy.

Epcoritamab, sold as Tepkinly by the pharmaceutical company AbbVie, is a type of antibody immunotherapy given as an injection rather than as an intravenous infusion.