England rolls out 5-minute ‘super-jab’ for 15 cancers

WEB DESK: Thousands of cancer patients in England will now benefit from a new, quicker form of treatment, as the NHS becomes the first healthcare system in Europe to offer an injectable version of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab.

This under-the-skin injection, recently approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), takes just 3 to 5 minutes to administer, compared to the 30 to 60 minutes it takes via traditional intravenous (IV) drip. It will be available for patients with over 15 types of cancer, including skin, bladder, and oesophageal cancer. Around 1,200 patients each month are expected to benefit from this faster treatment.

The rollout is expected to save over a year’s worth of treatment time annually for both patients and NHS staff. With about 40 per cent of current IV nivolumab patients eligible for the injection, this shift will significantly reduce hospital time for patients and ease pressure on NHS resources.

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James Richardson, Clinical Pharmacist and National Specialty Adviser for Cancer Drugs, said the new treatment marks a major step forward. “It’s quicker, just as effective, and can help thousands of patients while easing the load on cancer units.”

The move also comes at no additional cost to the NHS, thanks to a pricing agreement with pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb. NHS England is now preparing to begin offering the jab next month as soon as supplies arrive.

Elizabeth O’Mahony, Chief Financial Officer of NHS England, called it a “huge boost” for patients. “Cutting treatment times from an hour to just a few minutes helps people spend less time in hospital and more time living their lives.”

This initiative is part of the NHS’s wider effort to modernize cancer care, which also includes introducing faster breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and blood disorder treatments. It also aligns with the government’s broader National Cancer Plan, which aims to improve survival rates and bring care standards in the UK up to global benchmarks.