Janssen’s Darzalex approved in Scotland for multiple myeloma

Janssen has announced that its cancer drug Darzalex has been approved in Scotland for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has recommended Darzalex for restricted NHS use as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have demonstrated disease progression despite prior therapy with a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent. 

This approval as a fourth-line treatment option reverses previous guidance from the regulator which did not recommend the drug in this indication, with the latest ruling based on the therapy's encouraging clinical trial performance.

Janssen's offer of a patient access scheme supporting the cost-effectiveness of Darzalex was also instrumental in securing this decision.

Jennifer Lee, director of health economics, market access, reimbursement and advocacy at Janssen UK, said: "Janssen has an inherent commitment to providing innovative and life-extending treatments to patients, therefore we are delighted to be able to provide an extra line of therapy to patients and doctors in Scotland."

Currently, there is a lack of effective and well-tolerated treatment options for patients with this form of cancer who have become resistant to other therapies, meaning there is an urgent need for new options.

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