New treatment approved in England for CLL: what you need to know

Pirtobrutinib has not yet been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland. Decisions about new treatments in Scotland are made by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). We will share an update if the SMC makes a decision about pirtobrutinib for CLL.

Wales and Northern Ireland usually follow NICE recommendations. This can take time. Your healthcare team can tell you whether pirtobrutinib is available where you are treated.

Pirtobrutinib is a type of medicine called a BTK inhibitor.

• BTK inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy. They block signals that help leukaemia cells grow and survive. Other BTK inhibitors used in CLL include ibrutinib, acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib.
• Pirtobrutinib works slightly differently from some earlier BTK inhibitors. It is known as a reversible BTK inhibitor. This means it attaches to BTK protein in a different way.

NICE did not recommend pirtobrutinib instead of other BTK inhibitors. To access pirtobrutinib, you must have another BTK inhibitor first. This is because the evidence did not directly compare it with those treatments. However, trial results showed it could help people whose CLL had already been treated with another BTK inhibitor. This is why it has been approved for that group.

For some people living with CLL, this decision may offer another option to consider if previous treatments are no longer suitable.

It gives healthcare teams another way to shape care around the person in front of them. Decisions can be based on their treatment history, health needs and what matters most to them day to day.

It will not be the right choice for everyone. But for some people it could offer a helpful next step to discuss with their clinical team.

Leukaemia Care contributed to the NICE appraisal by sharing insights from people affected by CLL. We worked with other charities to help make sure patient experiences were included.

This helped decision-makers understand how access to treatment can affect everyday life, not just clinical outcomes.

NHS England has to make treatments available within 90 days of NICE approval. It may take longer to be available in Wales and Northen Ireland if they accept the recommendation too.

If you have been diagnosed with CLL and would like to know whether this treatment might be suitable for you, speak to your healthcare team. They can talk you through your options and help you decide what’s right for you.

At Leukaemia Care, our mission is to support you and your loved ones - especially when navigating new and potentially complex treatment options. Here’s how we can help: