HCA Healthcare UK offers groundbreaking blood cancer treatment

With the potential for long-lasting remission, this cutting-edge treatment offers new hope for eligible patients living with incurable blood cancer.

CAR T-cell therapy is initially available at Outstanding’ CQC-rated HCA Healthcare UK at University College Hospital (HCA UK at UCH) a JACIE-accredited centre of excellence for haematology conditions, before expanding to the also ‘Outstanding’ The Christie Private Care, part of HCA UK in Manchester later this year.

Myeloma is the UK’s second most common blood cancer, affecting 24,000 people in the UK at any given time. It is currently incurable and develops in plasma cells (part of the immune system) within bone marrow, causing abnormal proteins that can damage the body. While current treatments aim to manage the disease, CAR T-cell therapy offers a highly targeted and personalised approach.

Previously successful in treating lymphoma and leukaemia, CAR T-cell therapy has achieved durable remissions and may be curative in some cases.

How CAR T-cell therapy works
CAR T-cell therapy is a groundbreaking form of immunotherapy that uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. It involves the following steps:

1. T-cell collection: A patient’s T-cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a key role in the immune system, are collected from their blood.
2. Genetic modification: In a specialised laboratory, the T-cells are genetically engineered to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). These receptors enable the T-cells to recognise and attack specific proteins found on the surface of cancer cells.
3. T-cell expansion: The modified T-cells are multiplied in large quantities to ensure there are enough to target the cancer effectively.
4. Reinfusion into the patient: The engineered T-cells are infused back into the patient’s bloodstream, where they seek out and destroy cancer cells.
5. Cancer cell destruction: Once in the body, the CAR T-cells identify and bind to the cancer cells, triggering an immune response to eliminate them.

Professor Ashutosh Wechalekar, Consultant Haematologist at HCA UK at University College Hospital Private Care, said:

“CAR T-cell therapy is a significant breakthrough in blood cancer treatment, offering a highly personalised and targeted approach that harnesses the power of the immune system to fight cancer.

We’ve seen incredible results using CAR T-cells to treat other blood cancers, lymphoma and leukaemia, this therapy represents a transformative step forward for myeloma, giving new hope to patients.”

Will Pressley, CEO HCA at UK University College and HCA UK’s Cancer Services, said:

“We are proud to be one of the first healthcare providers in the UK to offer this potentially life-changing therapy to eligible patients with myeloma. At HCA Healthcare UK, we are committed to providing access to the latest and most innovative treatments to offer more choice to patients and the potential for improved outcomes for our patients.

“The introduction of Johnson & Johnson’s myeloma CAR T-cell therapy is a testament to our dedication to delivering world-class and complex cancer care.”

Dr. John Fleming, Country Medical Director at Johnson & Johnson UK, said:

“We are pleased that this innovative therapy is now available to eligible patients in the UK. Myeloma is currently an incurable long-term condition, and we understand all too well how it can impact a person’s life – so the more treatment options that patients have available to them, the better. We feel very proud to have worked with the wider clinical and patient community to reach this milestone and remain committed to continuing to advance treatment options for people living with blood cancer.”

At HCA Healthcare UK, CAR T-cell therapy is delivered by highly skilled multidisciplinary teams, including some of the UK’s leading haematology consultants and clinical specialists in the field.

With state-of-the-art facilities and a commitment to excellence, HCA UK has been at the forefront of CAR T-cell therapy delivery, launching CAR-T for certain types of lymphoma and leukaemia in 2019. This development underscores HCA UK’s reputation of being able to provide patients with the most advanced and effective therapies in cancer care.

See how CAR T-cell therapy works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0fFFQUnSt8

For more information about CAR T-cell therapy at HCA Healthcare UK, visit HCA’s website.