Janssen launches mantle cell lymphoma therapy in the UK

Janssen has announced the UK approval and launch of its drug Velcade as a first-line treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

The therapy, which is already well-known and widely used for the treatment of multiple myeloma, has been approved for use against this aggressive form of blood cancer based on positive safety and efficacy data from clinical trials.

Patients with previously untreated MCL who were unsuitable for blood stem-cell transplantation were shown to experience improvements in progression-free survival when treated with Velcade in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone.

An application has been submitted for the therapy to be included in the National Cancer Drugs Fund, with a further filing set to be made for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approval.

Mark Hicken, managing director of Janssen, said: "We want to ensure that as many eligible patients as possible have access to our treatments."

The company already offers Imbruvica as a second-line treatment in MCL. It received European Commission for this new Velcade indication last month.