News
‘One-minute’ immunotherapy jab rolled out for cancer patients
Tens of thousands of patients could benefit from a ‘rapid’ new immunotherapy jab on the NHS for over a dozen different cancers, which can be given in just 60 seconds. The NHS is rolling out a new injectable form
of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) which can cut the time the treatment takes by up to 90%, to help patients spend less time in hospital while improving NHS productivity. The jab can be used to treat 14 different cancer types, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical, and works by triggering immune cells to recognise and kill cancer cells. Around 14,000 patients start pembrolizumab
therapy each year in England, and most are now expected to benefit from the more convenient treatment. The new under-the-skin injection replaces an
intravenous (IV) infusion, which can take up to two hours in total per session, sparing patients
unnecessary time in treatment units and freeing up capacity for clinicians to see and treat more people. The treatment will be given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute injection, depending on an individual’s cancer type. One of the first patients to receive the new time-
saving injection on the NHS – 89-year-old Shirley Xerxes from St Albans – hailed it as “unbelievable” to be in the treatment chair for just a “matter of minutes”, giving her “more time to live her life”. Currently, hospital pharmacy teams need to
carefully prepare the intravenous bags under specialist sterile conditions, which can be time- consuming for NHS staff. Moving to the ready-to- administer subcutaneous injection both removes this preparation and frees up vital clinic time and space for more patients to receive treatment. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical
Director for Cancer, said: “This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients and it’s fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver – meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair.
“Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really exhausting, and not only will this innovation make therapy much quicker and more convenient for patients, it will also help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times.”
One in three doctors consider quitting, warns the MDU
Almost a third of doctors have considered leaving the medical profession due to relentless pressure at work, with serious consequences for their health, wellbeing and patient safety, a survey by the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has revealed. New figures show persistent staff shortages and rising patient expectations are the key drivers behind more than eight in ten doctors experiencing high stress levels. Half of doctors report poor mental or physical health, and the same number say workplace pressures increase their risk of making mistakes at work. Extreme tiredness remains a concern for
doctors, with more than one in three saying they are regularly sleep deprived and ten percent reporting a ‘near miss’, where tiredness played a part. Struggling to switch off after the shift ends and not being able to take a break due to high patient demand were cited as the main causes of tiredness. Six in ten doctors say they aren’t confident that workplace pressures will improve over the next year, almost half have considered reducing working hours and one in five are actively looking to work abroad. See more about MDU’s calls to support the
workforce in the Agenda for Change policy paper at:
https://tinyurl.com/5fwn2zdu
Efforts to eliminate hepatitis delivers gains but more action needed to meet 2030 targets
Global efforts to combat viral hepatitis are delivering measurable progress in reducing infections and deaths, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report released at the World Hepatitis Summit. Viral hepatitis B and C – the two infections
responsible for 95% of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide – claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024, the latest data show. At the same time, transmission continues, with more than 4900 new infections every day, or 1.8 million each year. The 2026 Global hepatitis report documents significant gains made since 2015. The annual number of new hepatitis B infections has dropped by 32% and hepatitis C-related deaths have fallen by 12% globally. Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has also decreased to 0.6%, with 85
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countries achieving or surpassing the 2030 target of 0.1%. These achievements reflect the impact of sustained, coordinated global and national action following the adoption of WHO viral hepatitis elimination targets by Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2016. However, the report warns that current rates of progress are insufficient to meet all 2030 elimination targets, underscoring the urgent need to accelerate prevention, testing, and treatment efforts worldwide. “Around the world, countries are showing that eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream, it’s possible with sustained political commitment, backed by reliable domestic financing,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director- General. “At the same time, this report shows that progress is too slow and uneven. Many people
remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care. While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed if the world is to meet the 2030 targets.” Updated WHO estimates indicate that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024. That year, 0.9 million people were newly infected with hepatitis B. The WHO African Region accounted for 68% of new hepatitis B infections, yet only 17% of newborns in the region received the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination. A further 0.9 million hepatitis C infections
were recorded in 2024. People who inject drugs accounted for 44% of new infections, highlighting the urgent need for stronger harm reduction services and safe injection practices.
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