chat
Posted on: Monday 11th November 2024
What’s the news?
Today, Leukaemia Care welcomes the decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to approve quizartinib (Vanflyta©) for use on the NHS in Scotland. This is a treatment for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with an FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutation. Quizartinib can be used in combination with chemotherapy during induction and consolidations treatment, followed by quizartinib treatment on its own during maintenance treatment.
Leukaemia Care submitted a written response to the SMC representing the views of AML patients. A submission is created by drawing on experiences of individual patients and data from our surveys.
Leukaemia Care’s CEO, Colin Dyer, said of today’s decision:
“We welcome the decision by the SMC to approve this treatment, ensuring equity of access for patients across the UK. Patients with FLT3-ITD mutations have an increased risk of relapse with standard treatments, so another targeted treatment option for such patients is important for clinicians to tailor treatment plans to their patients effectively.”
Why is this news important for AML patients with an FLT3-ITD mutation?
In newly diagnosed AML, the preferred primary induction treatment is intensive chemotherapy. However, this treatment can be ineffective for patients. FLT3-ITD mutated AML often can be put into remission by chemotherapy alone, but often relapses later on. The main clinical trial of quizartinib that was examined in the process should a more than doubling of the average survival time (overall survival) between people having quizartinib compared to people having just chemotherapy.
There are other treatments that can be used alongside chemotherapy to boost the response of FLT3-ITD mutated AML. The main one approved by in Scotland is midostaurin, which also works against cells that have other mutation in the FLT3 gene. However, quizartinib targets the mutated cell proteins more specifically than other treatments, and so is a useful alternative option for patients and their clinical teams to consider. Unlike other treatments for this group of mutations, quizartinib is also an option for maintenance treatment of patients who have a stem cell transplant after their consolidation treatment. Maintenance treatment is an important way that haematologists ensure that the treatment given for aggressive leukaemia is long lasting.
How is the treatment administered?
Quizartinib is an oral tablet treatment that is taken alongside standard chemotherapy. The chemotherapy is given intravenously. Quizartinib will be given throughout the induction, consolidation and maintenance phases of treatment and doses may vary over the course of treatment.
More information on AML
Order or download free copies of our information booklets about AML.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) resources
Support services
If you or a loved one needs advice or support regarding your diagnosis, please get in touch. You can call our free helpline on 08088 010 444 and speak to one of our nurses. Alternatively, you can send a message to our team via WhatsApp on 07500 068 065 (services available Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm).