For the first time in the world, patients of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) will gain access to an innovative treatment known as the “Trojan horse” therapy. This approach delivers toxic agents directly into cancer cells. The new drug — belantamab mafodotin — has shown nearly three times greater effectiveness compared to traditional treatments for myeloma, a type of blood cancer, according to the BBC (translation — Charter97.org).

The uniqueness of the therapy lies in its use of antibodies that guide the drug specifically to malignant plasma cells. Once inside the cell, the treatment releases a toxic payload that destroys the cancer. This targeted method significantly reduces the side effects typically associated with conventional chemotherapy.

Paul Sylvester, a 60-year-old patient from Sheffield, was among the first to receive the therapy through an early access program. After experiencing a relapse following a bone marrow transplant, he began the new treatment — and within just a few weeks, his condition improved. Paul described the therapy as a “turning point” in his life that enabled him to return to an active social life.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has already approved the drug as an effective solution. It is expected that around 1,500 patients per year who have not responded to standard treatments will benefit from this therapy.

Although myeloma remains incurable, researchers emphasize that smart drugs like belantamab mafodotin offer hope for prolonged remission and even functional cures. According to scientists, long-term remission may become a reality for more than half of patients within the next five years.