Trial delivery in Scotland supports approval of new treatment option for blood cancer
A next-generation drug with the potential to keep myeloma at bay for nearly a year has been approved for use across the NHS in Scotland, following a successful clinical trial at NHS Tayside
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer which affects specific types of white blood cells known as leukocytes. While treatments are available, multiple myeloma can return following treatment or become resistant to these treatments.
A Phase 3 randomised study comparing talquetamab in combination with pomalidomide or teclistamab versus standard therapies opened to recruitment in April 2024 at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Talquetamab works by helping the body’s immune system identify and destroy myeloma cells. It is part of a new class of drugs, known as a bispecific antibody, which targets myeloma in a completely different way that could also help overcome resistance to current treatments.
Anne Head, from Pitlochry, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2019 after routine blood tests during a check-up at Ninewells Hospital. Over the next five years Anne underwent stem cell transplantion and tried other treatment options, but none were effective or managed to keep her in remission. When her cancer returned for a third time in July 2024, she enrolled in the clinical trial.
Speaking about the opportunity to participate, Anne said: “I went in thinking it was a routine check-up and they said, ‘That’s it, we don’t have any more treatments. We’ve hit a problem here and there’s not really much we can do’. In the same breath the consultant then said, ‘But there is a trial at Ninewells’. He told me to go and think about it. But I didn’t need to think about it. All I could think about during this conversation was my four grandchildren. A chance is a chance.”
Anne began receiving the treatment as part of the trial and has seen remarkable results, nearly two years on, her cancer remains undetectable. Speaking of her trial experience, Anne added:
“Myeloma is not a death sentence. There are all these new drugs coming in all the time. There’s hope ahead and I’m full of positivity.”
Every year in Scotland, more than 1600 clinical trials take place across a range of therapy areas. They provide vital scientific evidence to help determine if new medical treatments are safe and effective, ultimately transforming health outcomes and saving lives.
A positive recommendation from the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) means clinicians in Scotland can start prescribing talquetamab to eligible patients, supporting NHS access to an additional treatment option.
Dr Gordon Marron, Consultant Haematologist at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, said: “I am delighted that talquetamab is now approved for use in Scotland. It represents a major advance in the treatment of relapsed myeloma for patients who previously would have had very few good options. Compared to existing treatments it is highly effective and can offer durable disease control in those patients who respond. At the same time, it has a manageable side effect profile and avoids the need for steroids, which we know can impact quality of life.”
Further Information
- About the Monumental 6 Trial
- Read more about patient experience of the trial
- Further information on Scottish Medicine Consortium
- More information from Myeloma UK
Publication date: 19th June 2026
