Subcutaneous pembrolizumab has now been administered to the first patients in the UK following its nationwide rollout across NHS hospitals, offering a significantly faster alternative to intravenous delivery of the immunotherapy.
Pembrolizumab has long been used in the NHS as an IV infusion to treat multiple cancer types by helping the immune system target cancer cells.
The new subcutaneous formulation, delivered under the skin via injection, is the first MHRA‑approved subcutaneously delivered immune checkpoint inhibitor that can be administered by a healthcare professional in between one and two minutes. By comparison, IV administration takes approximately 30 minutes.
Approved for 32 indications across 14 cancer types, the subcutaneous option provides an alternative route of administration for a broad range of patients. While both SC and IV dosing schedules allow treatment once every three or six weeks, SC delivery takes one minute when given every three weeks or two minutes when given every six weeks.
The new formulation also reduces clinician preparation time by 44.3%, easing workflow pressures and freeing up capacity in treatment units. Boehringer Ingelheim said the approach has the potential to support NHS productivity while offering a more convenient, person‑centred experience for patients.
Dr Toby Talbot, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Royal Cornwall Hospital, said: “Pembrolizumab has been used within the NHS for a large number of different cancers and is known to improve outcomes. Until now, it has only been possible to give this treatment as an infusion directly into the vein which takes at least 30 minutes and requires care in specialist units.”
He added: “This new subcutaneous preparation means much shorter administration times for patients with an injection that takes only a few minutes. In addition to the benefits for patients directly, shorter administration times will mean more capacity for treatment units to support other patients and shorten the wait to start therapy for many.”
Claire Pearson, 52, who is receiving treatment for melanoma, said: “Having a cancer diagnosis means you end up spending a lot of time in hospitals, what you really want is to be getting on with life. The treatment I was given, technically, was a half hour infusion, but by the time I waited for a chair to become available and had my cannula fitted and then the infusion itself I soon learnt this really meant taking half a day off work.”
