Patients with an aggressive form of leukaemia will be able to receive a breakthrough immunotherapy on the NHS after trials in which more than three quarters of participants entered remission. The CAR T‑cell therapy, known as obe‑cel (Aucatzyl; obecabtagene autoleucel), reprogrammes a patient’s own immune T‑cells in a lab to recognise and attack cancer and returns them as a personalised “living medicine”.
NHS England has announced the therapy will be available through specialist CAR‑T centres within weeks, following approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and interim funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund to speed implementation. The treatment will be offered to adults aged 26 and over with relapsed or refractory B‑cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B‑cell ALL). It is estimated around 50 patients a year in England could be eligible.
In clinical trial data, 77% of patients treated with obe‑cel achieved remission; half of those showed no detectable cancer after three and a half years. On average the therapy provided an additional 15.6 months of life. Compared with other CAR‑T products, obe‑cel was associated with lower toxicity and a reduced likelihood of serious side effects.
Patients receive two intravenous doses ten days apart at selected specialist centres. Reported side effects were generally mild to moderate, with Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) — an immune reaction causing flu‑like symptoms — the most common.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, said the therapy “could give patients with this aggressive form of leukaemia a chance to live free from cancer for longer – and, for some, it could offer the hope of a cure.” He described the treatment as a valuable addition to the NHS’s growing range of CAR‑T options for blood cancers.
Patient testimony underlined the impact. Harry, a 19‑year‑old student treated with obe‑cel during a 2024 trial, said the treatment worked beyond expectations and avoided many severe side effects. He welcomed its NHS availability for people aged over 26, saying the greatest benefit it offers is hope.
Health Minister Ashley Dalton said the announcement demonstrated how the NHS and the UK life sciences sector can deliver innovative treatments that save lives, reduce side effects and shorten hospital stays as part of the 10 Year Health Plan.
NHS England’s Fiona Bride highlighted the UK‑based journey of obe‑cel from university research to an NHS‑delivered therapy, praising collaborative work across academia, industry and health bodies. Dr Claire Roddie of UCLH, who has worked on the drug since 2017, said the achievement will allow many more patients to benefit from CAR‑T therapy.
Patient groups welcomed the move. Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK, noted obe‑cel is the first CAR‑T therapy designed with potential for outpatient administration, which could improve access for older patients or those with comorbidities and might allow delivery in local settings or patient homes in future. Henny Braund, CEO of Anthony Nolan, called the availability a significant step for adults with relapsed or refractory B‑cell ALL.
Aucatzyl is manufactured by Autolus Therapeutics, a spin‑out from University College London, and will be produced in Stevenage, a UK hub for pharmaceutical and cell and gene therapy companies.
Background and context:
– Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is an aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer. Around 800 people are diagnosed with ALL in the UK each year; roughly half are adults.
– Patients with aggressive forms of the cancer treated with standard chemotherapy typically live about 10 months on average after treatment.
– The NHS began offering CAR‑T therapies in 2018 and now provides a range of personalised CAR‑T treatments for different blood cancers in adults and children.
– The number of NHS sites offering obe‑cel is planned to increase through 2026 and 2027.
– Clinical trials for obe‑cel were delivered at multiple NHS hospitals across the UK.
