Janssen launches cancer drug Imbruvica in UK

Janssen has announced the UK launch of Imbruvica, a new treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

The oral, once-daily, first-in-class treatment is specifically licensed for patients who have received one prior therapy, or for first-line use in the presence of 17p deletion or TP53 mutation in those unsuitable for chemo-immunotherapy.

Imbruvica functions by effectively inhibiting the Bruton's tyrosine kinase protein, which helps cancer cells grow. It has been associated with substantial survival benefits in clinical trials.

Coinciding with the product's launch, Janssen has submitted an application to the National Cancer Drugs Fund to ensure eligible patients in England can access the new blood cancer treatment as easily as possible.

Mark Hicken, managing director of Janssen, said: "Janssen is working to bring new therapies to patients living with complex and challenging-to-treat blood cancers."

This comes after the company's psoriatic arthritis drug Stelara was provisionally recommended for NHS use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence earlier this month.