Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent

Thousands of cancer patients in England to benefit from new immunotherapy jab

A nurse preparing an injection using a syringe to draw substance from a small sealed jar
The treatment, given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute one, is the second immunotherapy jab available in England. Photograph: Shivansh Gupta/PA

Thousands of patients across England each year will benefit from a new immunotherapy treatment that can be used for several types of cancer, the NHS has announced.

The injectable form of pembrolizumab, which can be administered in under two minutes, kills cancer cells by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, allowing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.