Keytruda: New cancer jab not yet available in Northern Ireland

A leading cancer researcher has said that Northern Ireland patients should not be left behind in a "postcode lottery" as a new injectable cancer drug is rolled out across other parts of the UK. The treatment, a new injectable form of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), is expected to significantly reduce the time thousands of NHS patients spend in hospital. Prof Mark Lawler, from Queen's University Belfast, said the scientific community will be "calling out" for patients to have rapid access to the drug. The Department of Health (DoH) said it is "aware" of the jab and is "exploring" how it can be made available to patients in Northern Ireland "as soon as possible". Following approval from the UK's medicines regulator, NHS hospitals in all four UK nations can make orders for subcutaneous pembrolizumab. It is up to local trusts and hospitals to implement rollout on their timelines, a firm representing the drug's manufacturer told BBC News NI. Keytruda, which is already used to treat multiple cancers, is a type of immunotherapy that helps the body's own immune system attack cancer cells. The injectable version is being rolled out for patients in England and Wales from Mon