The treatment, given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute one, is the second immunotherapy jab available in England. Photo Credit: Shivansh Gupta/PA
Health United KingdomFast-Acting Cancer Jab Cuts Treatment Time Dramatically
England is introducing a new injectable cancer immunotherapy that delivers treatment in minutes, improving patient experience while freeing up hospital capacity.
“This innovation means patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair,” said Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England.
The new injectable form of pembrolizumab can be administered in one to two minutes, replacing intravenous treatments that previously took around two hours per session. Around 14,000 patients are expected to benefit immediately, with the NHS saving more than 100,000 hours of treatment time each year. Used across nearly 30 cancer types, the therapy works by enabling the immune system to better detect and attack cancer cells, marking a significant step toward faster, more efficient, and more accessible treatment.
