The National Health Service (NHS) is rolling out a groundbreaking one-minute injection for cancer patients, dramatically reducing treatment times for over a dozen types of the disease. The immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), which has traditionally been administered via intravenous drip over 30 to 45 minutes, can now be given as a rapid subcutaneous injection, slashing the time required by up to 90 percent.
How the New Injection Works
Pembrolizumab works by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on the immune system. By releasing this brake, the drug enables the body’s immune cells to recognise and attack cancer cells. The new injectable form delivers the same dose in a volume of just 4 millilitres—less than a teaspoon—compared to the 100 millilitres required for intravenous administration. This means patients no longer need a cannula inserted into their veins, and the entire process can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Patient Experiences
Among the first recipients on the NHS was 89-year-old Shirley Xerxes from St Albans, Hertfordshire, who has bowel cancer. She received the injection at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, part of the East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust. Describing her experience, she said: “Having the injection has been great, and the nurse was so good, so kind. I just had it in my tummy. But it’s not as quick as a Covid jab. It takes a couple of minutes. I feel appreciative, really. I mean, we don’t have to pay for it. It’s good, I’m very appreciative. It’s been wonderful. Now I can spend more time on gardening, especially now spring is here.”
Another patient, Stephen Friend, 67, who has melanoma, also praised the new approach. “This new process takes away a lot of the stress, I think. Up until now I’ve been extremely healthy, I’ve not really used the NHS up until now. And it’s just been amazing,” he said.
Benefits for the NHS
The switch to the ready-to-use injection is expected to free up significant staff time. Vikash Dodhia, head of pharmacy at Mount Vernon, explained: “With immunotherapy treatment, patients have to have an IV drip—about 100 millilitres, a third of a coke can—which takes about 30 to 45 minutes to administer, plus a cannula insertion. With this new way, it’s 4 millilitres—less than a teaspoon. For patients, it means they get all that time back. For staff, if you can give treatments much quicker, you can treat more patients through the treatment chairs. In a unit like this, we can accommodate more patients in a given day and treat them quicker. And we all know, particularly in cancer, the sooner you start treatment, the better the benefit. The drug cost to the NHS is exactly the same.”
MSD, the manufacturer of pembrolizumab, estimates that the injection reduces staff time spent on preparation by 44 percent. Around 14,000 patients in England begin pembrolizumab therapy each year, and most are expected to transition to the injectable form. The treatment is given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute injection, depending on the cancer type.
Official Reactions
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients, and it’s fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver—meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair. Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really exhausting, and not only will this innovation make therapy much quicker and more convenient for patients, it will help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a cancer survivor himself, added: “As a cancer survivor, I know how important quick treatment is, and this rollout will offer quicker, more convenient care, saving patients time and helping them in their recovery with less time in hospital. Not only that—it’ll also free up valuable time so clinicians can care for even more people and potentially save even more lives.”
John McNeill, oncology business unit director at MSD in the UK, commented: “This innovation offers a practical, patient-centred solution to improve productivity, capacity, and convenience in NHS cancer care.”
