Thousands of cancer patients in England to benefit from new immunotherapy jab

Injectable pembrolizumab can treat several types of cancer and can be administered in under two minutes

Thousands of patients across England each year will benefit from a new immunotherapy treatment that can be used for several types of cancer, the NHS has announced.

The injectable form of pembrolizumab, which can be administered in under two minutes, kills cancer cells by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, allowing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.