Merck cancer drug is
first approved under UK early access scheme
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[March 11, 2015]
LONDON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's
cancer drug Keytruda, which works by boosting the immune system but has
yet to be licensed in Europe, is the first medicine to be made available
to patients in Britain under a new early access scheme.
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The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said on
Wednesday that the treatment had been cleared to treat adults and
children from 12 years of age with advanced melanoma, the deadliest
form of skin cancer, after other drugs had failed.
Keytruda, or pembrolizumab, was accepted under the scheme based on
the significance of early study findings and unmet medical need. It
had already received a "promising innovative medicine" designation
in Britain in October 2014.
The British initiative, which has similarities with a U.S. scheme
that has accelerated the development of so-called "breakthrough"
medicines, follows criticism that Britain's state-run healthcare
system is too slow to adopt new treatments.
The new early access program is funded by drug companies.
While Keytruda is already approved in the United States, Merck's
application for marketing authorization in Europe is still under
review.
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(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Jason Neely)
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