NHS lung cancer patients will be the first in Europe to be offered a revolutionary new drug which stops tumours growing by targeting the so-called ‘death star’ mutation.

The drug’s adoption by NHS follows a 40 year search for a treatment for the mutation on the KRAS gene, present in a quarter of all tumours, which has been dubbed the ‘Death Star’ because of its spherical appearance and impenetrable nature.

NHS England has said that the Sotorasib therapy will be fast-tracked to NHS patients after being proven in clinical trials to stop lung cancer growing for seven months. Near to 600 NHS lung cancer patients a year will be given the drug initially in England, starting in the next few weeks thanks to an early-access deal.

Sotorasib, taken as a tablet, binds with the KRAS G12C mutation and makes it inactive, stopping cell division and cancer growth. It is the first treatment of its kind and could represent a major breakthrough in treatments for some of the world’s other deadliest cancers including pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

Newly approved by the MHRA, the NHS will begin to offer the new drug within weeks to eligible lung cancer patients, following a national access agreement reached with the manufacturer Amgen.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “The NHS has a strong track record of securing best value access to world-class treatments for our patients and this lung cancer drug, decades in the making, is the latest deal landed by the health service in England which will save lives.

“Cancer services have been prioritised throughout the pandemic and despite the unavoidable disruption caused by Covid, the NHS has put to good use the additional resources to help us respond, with the number of people getting treatment back to pre-pandemic levels, so I want to remind anyone who is worried about signs of cancer to come forward and get care as the NHS is here for you and offering the most advanced care available.”