Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, Middlesex has become the first cancer centre in the country to treat a patient with an injectable form of immunotherapy called nivolumab. Approved for use in the UK earlier this year, the new under-the-skin injection means patients will spend far less time in hospital, having their fortnightly or monthly treatment in 5 minutes instead of up to an hour via an intravenous drip.
As part of a drive to offer patients faster access to the latest cancer treatments, the team prioritised prescribing guidelines and worked with the drug manufacturer to ensure they were ready to treat patients as soon as the injection was available in the UK.
Dr Amy Guppy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and chemotherapy lead at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre said:
“By administering this immunotherapy treatment through a brief injection, patient hospital visits will be shortened, enabling us to increase the number of patients treated within our day units.”
Dr Heather Shaw, Consultant Medical Oncologist (skin cancers) and deputy clinical director, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre said:
“Changing how this immunotherapy drug is given will make a big difference for patients—they won’t need cannulas and will spend less time in the hospital, making their experience much better.”
The new nivolumab injection can be used to treat 15 cancer types including skin cancer, bladder, and oesophagus, and it is estimated around 1,200 patients in England per month could benefit. Around 2 in 5 patients who currently receive the IV drip form of nivolumab, one of the most widely used cancer treatments, should be eligible for the new injection. The NHS is the first in Europe to offer it following approval for use by the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in April 2025.
