Johnson & Johnson has welcomed the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s decision to accept Talvey (talquetamab) for use within NHS Scotland for adults with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor and an anti‑CD38 antibody, and have shown disease progression on their last treatment.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer and most patients will relapse and require further therapy.
The company noted that heavily pre‑treated patients face a high unmet need, with relapses becoming more common after each line of treatment. The availability of talquetamab in Scotland could support around 44 patients each year, with uptake expected to increase as clinical experience grows.
In the pivotal phase 1/2 MonumenTAL‑1 study cohort treated with talquetamab 0.8 mg/kg every other week (n=154), the overall response rate was 70 percent, with deep and durable responses after a median follow up of 23.4 months. The SMC considered these results clinically meaningful in a population characterised by treatment resistance.
Dr Jennifer Travers, Consultant Haematologist at the Beatson, West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Golden Jubilee National Hospital, said: “I am delighted to hear talquetamab has been approved for use in patients with myeloma in Scotland. This is excellent news for patients with myeloma to have further options available to treat relapsed myeloma.
“Access to a bispecific therapy with a different target offers an additional option for patients. More available options for therapy allow clinicians to better tailor therapy for patients, allowing a more personalised approach to treatment for relapsed myeloma.”
Gabrielle King, Senior Policy Officer at Myeloma UK, said: “This is fantastic news and we know it will make a huge difference to people with myeloma in Scotland. Talquetamab targets myeloma in a completely different way to currently available treatments. Myeloma UK has driven every single treatment approval for myeloma since 1997, submitting evidence on behalf of our community and providing expert testimony in committee meetings, because each new pioneering treatment approved on the NHS gives people hope of a brighter future and brings us that much closer to a cure.”
Talquetamab is a bispecific antibody that binds GPRC5D on myeloma cells and CD3 on T‑cells, redirecting T‑cells to attack GPRC5D‑expressing myeloma cells and induce tumour cell death. GPRC5D is highly expressed in multiple myeloma, making it a strong therapeutic target.
Nina Pinwill, UK Director of Strategic Access, Pricing and Operations at Johnson & Johnson, said: “For people living with multiple myeloma, treatment options can become increasingly limited as the disease progresses, particularly for those who have already received several lines of therapy.
“The SMC’s acceptance of talquetamab is an important step for eligible patients across Scotland, supporting NHS access to an additional option in a later line setting where the unmet need remains high. We are pleased to have brought this innovation with a distinct target to the multiple myeloma community and hope it translates into improved lives.”
