MSD has welcomed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommendation of pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) with chemoradiotherapy as an option for untreated FIGO 2014 stage III–IVA locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) in adults.
The decision marks the first immunotherapy approved for locally advanced cervical cancer in England.
NICE’s recommendation is based on data from the phase 3 KEYNOTE‑A18 trial, which demonstrated improved progression‑free and overall survival compared with standard chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
Pembrolizumab is licensed in the UK for use with external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy, for adults who have not received prior definitive therapy.
Louise Broadbelt, a cervical cancer patient, said: “Nothing can prepare you for being diagnosed with cancer. All you want to hear is you will get the best possible treatment and have hope.
“I’m very grateful that I was offered the chance to go on the pembrolizumab clinical trial in 2021 when I was diagnosed with stage III locally advanced cervical cancer whilst under the care of The Royal Marsden Hospital and my wonderful oncologist Dr Susan Lalondrelle. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky that I was offered to participate in the trial and that I am still here today and the results may help others.”
Alexandra Taylor, Consultant in Clinical Oncology at The Royal Marsden, said: “This approval marks an important milestone for women with stage III–IVA locally advanced cervical cancer. It is encouraging that more patients will now have access to a treatment that can genuinely improve their long‑term outcomes.”
John McNeill, Oncology Business Unit Director at MSD UK, said: “We welcome today’s recommendation from NICE, which is an important step forward for women living with locally advanced cervical cancer.
“This is a cancer which disproportionately impacts women from underserved backgrounds and where there has long been an unmet need. Today’s decision represents a meaningful development for these patients, who may benefit from additional treatment options.”
