A life-extending injection for a fatal form of blood cancer will be available to around 350 patients per year in England.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard announced that the drug, which can extend the lives of patients with a recurring and incurable cancer of the bone marrow cells – known as multiple myeloma – by an average of nine months, has been given the green light for routine use by NICE after it was made available for a limited period through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Myeloma cannot be cured and treatment is usually about keeping the cancer at bay for as long as possible with the least side-effects from treatment.

The new treatment, a drug called daratumumab, will be offered to patients with recurring multiple myeloma who have tried at least three other treatments will help multiple myeloma patients live longer lives whilst improving their quality of life. It also gives patients a greater chance of accessing further treatments that may help them live even longer, healthier lives.

Pritchard said: “This quick injection can have a real impact on the lives of patients and their families and so it is important news that it is now routinely available on the NHS. The drug will offer a ray of light to hundreds of people each year who have had limited success with other treatments for this devastating, advanced blood cancer.

“It is also the latest in a long list of cutting-edge, targeted cancer treatments that the NHS has secured routine access to through the Cancer Drugs Fund, making it good value for taxpayers too. The NHS has continued to prioritise cancer care throughout the pandemic and I urge anyone with concerns, to come forward and get checked.”

The NHS Long Term Plan is committed to providing the latest cutting-edge treatments and therapies for patients, and the Cancer Drugs Fund provides faster access to promising cancer treatments on the health service in England.