NHS England to provide Daiichi Sankyo’s quizartinib for AML

The National Health Service (NHS) in England has announced that it will now routinely commission Daiichi Sankyo's drug, quizartinib, for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) carrying the FLT3-ITD mutation. Enabled by the Cancer Drugs Fund, this development allows immediate access to a daily tablet treatment that has been proven to significantly improve remission and survival rates.

Quizartinib is intended for use in combination with chemotherapy for newly-diagnosed adult AML patients and can be continued as a maintenance treatment for up to three years to reduce the risk of relapse. For patients who exhibit significant improvement after treatment with quizartinib, the option of a stem cell transplant will be available. For those who are not eligible for stem cell transplants, the tablet still offers considerable benefits by extending life expectancy.

The approval of quizartinib was based on evidence from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which highlighted its safety and effectiveness. Clinical trials demonstrated a median overall survival of 31.9 months for patients treated with quizartinib, compared to just 15.1 months for those who received a placebo. Quizartinib functions by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for the abnormal cell growth in the bone marrow caused by the FLT3-ITD mutation.

This decision follows a cost-effectiveness assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which approved the drug's use after Daiichi Sankyo proposed a reasonable price. Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS Cancer national clinical director, expressed optimism about the new treatment option, noting that it enhances chemotherapy, increasing the chance of remission and long-term survival for patients. He emphasized that this new treatment will offer patients valuable extra time with their loved ones.

Professor Johnson also highlighted the NHS's track record of quickly making innovative treatments accessible, noting that quizartinib joins a growing list of new cancer drugs that are helping patients manage and survive cancer. This advancement marks a significant step in improving the lives of people affected by cancer and their families throughout the country.