NICE recommends new treatments for forms of leukaemia and lymphoma

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

Nearly 800 patients untreated with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) will now have NHS access to treatments shown to extend progression-free survival.

Eligible patients with untreated MCL and CLL will be able to receive the targeted cancer drug acalabrutinib following final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Acalabrutinib can now be given in combination with other cancer medicines after a committee decided there is enough evidence that the treatments provide clinical benefits and represent an acceptable use of NHS resources.

For adults with untreated MCL who are not eligible for a stem cell transplant, NICE recommends acalabrutinib alongside bendamustine and rituximab. Around 350 people are expected to be eligible for this treatment.

MCL is a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is currently considered incurable and the disease typically follows a pattern of remission and relapse. Many are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are not fit enough for a stem cell transplant.