A groundbreaking new treatment described as a potential 'cure' for an aggressive form of leukaemia is now being offered to patients on the NHS. The therapy, which involves reprogramming a patient's own immune cells to hunt down and destroy cancer, represents a significant step forward in cancer care.
A Pioneering 'Living Medicine'
The new form of CAR T-cell therapy, known as obecabtagene autoleucel or obe-cel, has been approved for rollout following a successful trial. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, explained the process. "This 'living medicine' boosts a patient's own immune system and then guides T-cells towards the cancer to kill it," he said.
Professor Johnson emphasised the treatment's impact, stating: "CAR T-cell therapies are helping people with blood cancers live longer, healthier lives. This cutting-edge therapy has shown real promise in trials and could give patients with this aggressive form of leukaemia a chance to live free from cancer for longer – and, for some, it could offer the hope of a cure."
Harry's Story: A Life Transformed by Treatment
The human impact of this innovation is embodied by Harry Brown, a 19-year-old student from Harrogate. Harry received a devastating diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2023. In 2024, he received obe-cel as part of a clinical trial.
"I feel so lucky to have had access to such a wondrous treatment," Harry said. "Not only did it work better than my doctors thought it would, it worked without many of the horrible side effects you can get from other treatments." The geography student underwent the treatment at a specialist centre in Stevenage and is currently in remission.
Harry added, "I think it's brilliant obe-cel is now available on the NHS for people over the age of 26. The biggest thing it offers is hope. When you're facing a situation like mine, hope is the most valuable thing you can have."
Expanding Access and Improving Outcomes
This new therapy is a vital development for the approximately 800 people diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) each year in the UK. Data shows that patients with this rare and aggressive cancer, who are typically treated with chemotherapy, live for an average of just 10 months after treatment.
The new treatment differs from previous CAR T-cell therapies offered since 2018. Obe-cel is designed with a "fast off" mechanism that binds and releases from cancer cells, and it is administered in two split doses. This approach minimises the over-stimulation of the immune system, reducing the risk of a major side effect called cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and organ damage.
Following approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the treatment will be available to people aged 26 and over with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia that has returned or not responded to previous treatment. NICE estimates it could help more than 150 people over the next three years.
Fiona Hazell, chief executive at Leukaemia UK, welcomed the news, highlighting its accessibility. "This treatment is unique as the first CAR T therapy designed with the potential to be given in an outpatient setting, offering better accessibility particularly for older patients," she said.
The therapy, brand name Aucatzyl, is manufactured by Autolus Therapeutics, a spin-out from University College London, and will be produced in Stevenage, marking a British success story in medical innovation.
