Overview

• NHS England began offering belantamab mafodotin this week after Nice approval, making it the first health system globally to roll out the therapy
• Developed by GlaxoSmithKline with early research in Stevenage and trials in London, the antibody drug sneaks into myeloma cells before releasing a lethal payload
• Patients will receive infusions every three weeks alongside bortezomib and dexamethasone, with trials showing an average three-year delay in disease progression
• Around 1,500 multiple myeloma patients annually in England are expected to benefit, focusing on those whose cancer has advanced or failed to respond to first-line treatments
• Recipients must undergo routine ophthalmological assessments to monitor for ocular toxicity, including blurred vision and dry eyes