Hundreds more patients in England with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) will gain earlier access to glofitamab (Columvi) after new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). According to NHS England, starting immediately, around 300 people annually can receive glofitamab after just one prior line of therapy, an expansion enabled by the NHS Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), which accelerates access to innovative treatments while gathering real‑world data.
DLBCL, a fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects about 5,500 people in England each year. predominantly men over 65. often presents with painless gland swellings and can be fatal when resistant to chemotherapy. Glofitamab, administered as an intravenous infusion every three weeks, is an antibody therapy that recruits the immune system to target lymphoma cells. Previously restricted to patients who had failed two or more treatments, the earlier use of glofitamab could spare people from additional rounds of toxic therapy and improve chances of a durable remission.
Clinical evidence underpins the rollout. In trials combining glofitamab with chemotherapy, nearly six in ten patients with late-stage DLBCL achieved complete remission. Compared with the standard regimen R‑GemOx, the glofitamab combination significantly extended survival and delayed disease progression. After two years, 54% of patients on the glofitamab regimen were alive, versus 34% on standard therapy. The STARGLO study’s 24‑month follow-up further reported an approximately 42% reduction in risk of death and 59% reduction in risk of progression with glofitamab plus GemOx compared with rituximab plus GemOx.
Patient experience reflects the numbers. Chris Brown, 70, diagnosed with stage 4 disease, has been in complete remission since February after receiving glofitamab at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. He describes the treatment as life-changing, restoring time with family and everyday joys he feared were lost.
NHS leaders say the decision exemplifies how antibody therapies are reshaping lymphoma care. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, emphasized that immune-engaging drugs like glofitamab are increasing cure rates and quality time for patients. Frontline clinicians echo the impact: Dr. Wendy Osborne of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals noted patients alive today who likely would not have survived without CDF-enabled fast access.
Since 2016, the CDF has provided rapid entry to new cancer medicines approved by NICE and managed access to promising therapies needing more evidence. More than 108,000 patients have benefited, with over 300 treatment options fast-tracked, 50 in the past 18 months alone. The framework supports common and rare cancers alike, including lymphomas and leukemias.
Roche welcomed NICE’s positive guidance for Columvi-GemOx as a second-line option in transplant-ineligible adults, calling it a crucial milestone and pledging swift availability across the UK.
By moving glofitamab earlier in the treatment pathway, the NHS is offering a realistic path to remission for more people with aggressive DLBCL—delivering faster access, stronger outcomes, and renewed hope for patients and families facing one of the most challenging blood cancers.
