Kidney Cancer UK welcomes MHRA early access to nivolumab

Kidney Cancer UK has welcomed the news that the Medicines Healthcare Products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted early access to nivolumab through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS).

nivolumab will be available through EAMS as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma after prior therapy. The scientific opinion is based on data from a Phase III clinical trial, in which nivolumab demonstrated a significant median overall survival benefit of 5.4 months compared to standard therapy, everolimus in patients who received prior therapy.
Nick Turkentine, CEO of Kidney Cancer UK said of the announcement: “This is the news patients with advanced kidney cancer have been waiting to hear. Nivolumab is particularly exciting because it is a new type of treatment for kidney cancer, a monoclonal antibody. It works with the body to modify how the immune system reacts to cancer cells, promoting the natural destruction of kidney cancer cells which were otherwise not recognised by the immune system. Hopefully this new class of cancer drug will lead to more developments in the battle against cancer.”