Around 200 patients a year in England will benefit from the routine NHS use of two drugs for rare blood cancers, following final guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The decision covers Novartis' Tafinlar (dabrafenib) for BRAF V600E-mutant hairy cell leukemia and Takeda's Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) in combination with bendamustine for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.
NICE's final draft guidance, published on July 15, 2026, recommends Tafinlar as a first-line treatment for adults with hairy cell leukemia who have the BRAF V600E mutation. This rare cancer affects about 100 new patients annually in the UK. The drug, already used in some NHS settings, will now be routinely available.
For Adcetris plus bendamustine, NICE recommended it for adults with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma who have not had a stem cell transplant. This combination is expected to treat around 100 patients per year. The guidance was issued on July 17, 2026.
Both drugs were previously available only through the Cancer Drugs Fund or individual funding requests. The new recommendations ensure consistent access across England. NHS England estimates the total cost impact at £5 million annually, with confidential discounts agreed with the manufacturers.
Patient groups welcomed the decision. 'This is a significant step for patients with these rare conditions, offering effective treatments that can improve outcomes and quality of life,' said a spokesperson for Blood Cancer UK.
