Leading private healthcare provider HCA Healthcare UK has announced the introduction of bispecific antibody therapy for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).
HCA UK’s The Harborne Hospital in Birmingham has become the first facility in the West Midlands to treat a lung cancer patient using bispecific antibody therapy, a significant advancement in the treatment of solid tumours, highlighting the hospital’s growing role in cutting-edge cancer care.
Bispecific T cell engager therapy represents the latest advancement in the rapidly evolving landscape of immunotherapy treatments, which are increasingly being used to target different types of cancers. The new treatment option is available for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer who have experienced disease progression on or after two or more lines of therapy.
The groundbreaking therapy uses specially manufactured antibodies that can bind to proteins on two types of cells simultaneously - cancer cells and normal T-cells. This unique mechanism allows T-cells to come into close contact with cancer cells, enabling them to recognise and destroy them more effectively than traditional treatments.
The treatment, which is not currently available on the NHS, was carried out at The Harborne Hospital and overseen by leading Consultant Oncologist Dr Shobhit Baijal.
While available across HCA UK's Leaders in Oncology Care (LOC) sites through private medical insurance and self-pay options, the milestone represents the first patient to receive the therapy at any HCA UK hospital. The achievement comes during the 20th anniversary year of LOC, HCA UK's specialist oncology network that has been at the forefront of cancer treatment innovation for two decades.
HCA UK was one of the first providers to offer bispecific therapy for blood cancers in 2023, and this new lung cancer treatment represents the first bispecific therapy of its kind for a solid tumour available through the network. This latest innovation builds on HCA UK's track record of early adoption of advanced cancer treatments, including CAR T-cell therapy for myeloma and other cutting-edge immunotherapy options.
Claire Dunsterville, CEO of HCA Healthcare UK’s Harborne Hospital, said: "At HCA Healthcare UK, we are dedicated to bringing the most innovative and effective treatments to our patients as quickly as possible. The availability of bispecific antibody therapy for lung cancer at our LOC sites across the UK, including here at The Harborne Hospital, is testament to our ongoing investment in advanced medicine and our expert clinical teams. This therapy offers new hope for patients with lung cancer and reinforces our position at the forefront of cancer care innovation in the UK."
Dr Shobhit Baijal, Consultant Oncologist at The Harborne Hospital, said: "This milestone represents a significant breakthrough in our ability to treat patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer and we’re proud to have treated HCA UK’s first patient with the therapy here at The Harborne Hospital. Bispecific T cell engager therapy represents the next generation of immunotherapy, building on the success of monoclonal antibodies and harnessing the natural defences of the immune system in a more targeted way than ever before. As we continue to advance in the field of immunotherapy and cellular therapies, we are fundamentally changing how we can target cancer cells, providing our patients with innovative treatment options that were not available just a few years ago."
