The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved cervical cancer drug tisotumab vedotin (Tivdak).
The newly-approved intravenous drug is meant for treating adults with returned or spreading cervical cancer.
A single infusion lasts over 30 minutes and the drug needs to be taken once every three weeks.
It is also used to treat worsened cancer cases after previous anti-cancer treatment.
According to NHS England, cervical cancer is the reason for nearly 685 annual deaths in England.
“The approval of tisotumab vedotin provides a new treatment option for adults with cervical cancer. As with all licensed medicines, we will continue to monitor its safety closely as it becomes more widely used,” said Julian Beach, interim executive director of Healthcare Quality and Access at the MHRA.
Common side effects of Tivdak are eye problems such as conjunctivitis and keratitis, and nerve problems such as numbness, tingling or burning in the hands and feet.
The full list of side effects will be available in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) and the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) on the MHRA website within a week.
