Following the news that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the first new treatment for incurable cervical cancer in 14 years;

James Donagher, Oncology & Hematology Analyst at GlobalData, offers his view:

“NICE has recommended Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with chemotherapy for use in patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer whose tumors are programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive and do not respond to other treatments.

“According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 2,600 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in England, with a high proportion of these women diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 34. Advanced cervical cancer is an aggressive and incurable disease, therefore increasing the number of therapeutic options for this patient population remains a key unmet need.

“NICE’s recommendation is based on results from the pivotal Phase III KEYNOTE-826 trial, in which Keytruda and chemotherapy improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by up to 8 months compared to chemotherapy alone.

“Although Keytruda is already offered by NHS England to treat other cancer indications, it is the first new addition to the NHS treatment portfolio for incurable cervical cancer since 2009. NHS England and the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) have fast-tracked this therapeutic combination to be immediately accessible to this patient population from 30 March 2023, while further evidence on the exact survival benefit is collected and analysed.”