First leukaemia patient to get pioneering drug on NHS says it is ‘very sci-fi’

The first leukemia patient to receive a groundbreaking treatment since it was launched on the NHS said it was “fantastic” and “very science fiction”.

Oscar Murphy, 28, who has an aggressive form of blood cancer, was given a “living drug” called CAR-T therapy at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

BBC News was there on January 2 when Oscar received the first of two shots of his own immune cells that have been genetically modified to recognize and target his cancer.

NHS England has agreed to fund immunotherapy at several centers across the country. Around 50 NHS patients a year are likely to benefit from this.

Oscar was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) in March 2025.

He underwent chemotherapy and a donor stem cell transplant in July, but was told in November that his cancer had returned.

“My leukemia hits very fast,” said the car salesman in Bury. “A faster response is needed to stop this. And now we have an answer for that.”

In a clinical study, 77% of patients went into remission After treatment, half showed no signs of cancer after three and a half years.

The treatment gave patients an average of 15.6 months more to live.

Oscar’s hematologist, Dr. Eleni Tholouli said CAR-T therapy is safer, has fewer side effects and is much more effective than existing treatments.

“Usually this type of leukemia is very aggressive and adult patients do not survive more than six to eight months. With this therapy we can potentially give them a cure for years to come.”

“This is so important, and it’s revolutionizing the way we fight cancer.”

CAR-T therapy has been available on the NHS for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma for several years but has now been extended to adults with B-cell ALL.

Last month Oscar removed T cells, a type of white blood cell, and sent them to a laboratory in Stevenage.

The cells were then reprogrammed using a harmless virus and given a genetic sequence that would allow them to identify cancer.

The new surface receptors can then recognize cancer cells and bind to them (like a lock and key), marking them for destruction.

They become “chimeric antigen receptor T cells,” or CAR T cells, and their numbers are greatly expanded in the laboratory to create millions of copies.

Oscar’s personalized treatment, or living medicine, was frozen and sent to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The small bag containing Oscar’s personalized treatment contained 100 million CAR T cells in just three teaspoons of liquid, and it took just a few minutes for it to enter his bloodstream.

Oscar said he was surprised that the treatment could have such a powerful effect in such a small dose.

“This is so science fiction, but if it means we can get rid of cancer permanently and my own cells can do it, that’s really great.”

Oscar received a second shot of 300 million cells yesterday, signaling the end of CAR-T therapy.

Because it is a “living drug,” the cancer-killing T cells remain in the body for a long time and continue to grow and work inside the patient after the final infusion.

CAR-T therapy is manufactured by Autolus, a subsidiary of University College London.

During clinical trials, the patient’s cells had to be sent to laboratories in the United States.

The treatment’s list price is £372,000 per infusion.but the NHS has a secret discount.

It will be offered to patients over the age of 26 whose B-cell ALL has failed to respond to treatment or has returned at a number of centers across the UK, including Cambridge, Newcastle, Sheffield, Plymouth and London.

Patients from Wales and Northern Ireland will need to travel to England for treatment. It has not yet been approved in Scotland.

NHS England estimates around 50 patients a year could benefit, but Tholouli told the BBC he believed it could be higher and predicted it would eventually be used as a first-line treatment rather than stem cell transplant.

Prof Peter Johnson, NHS National Cancer Clinical Director, said it was a “turning point” for people with aggressive blood cancer.

He added that it was “remarkable” that the treatment currently offered in NHS centers had been developed from scientific research in the UK.

“This will help more people like Oscar live longer, healthier lives.”

Chris Williams, 29, from Belfast, was diagnosed with the same aggressive type of leukemia as Oscar in 2021.

When the cancer returned, he was given CAR-T therapy while it was still an experimental treatment in Manchester. He has now been in remission for almost three years.

“I was very unwell a few years ago and now I’m able to live a full life. I’ve been able to go back to work. I also met Chloe and now we’re engaged.

“I have great support from my family and they are very happy.”

Oscar and his fiancée Lauren were married at Manchester Royal Infirmary last month.

He told the BBC he wanted to “get it over with” due to the uncertainties surrounding his condition, but the couple had booked another ceremony for October.

“I want white picket fences with the kids and my wonderful wife. I just want that normalcy. This is my gateway to doing that and I can’t wait.”