LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a new treatment aimed at preventing and reducing hearing loss in patients undergoing cisplatin chemotherapy. This marks a significant step forward in addressing a common and often debilitating side effect of a widely used cancer treatment.
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug commonly administered to treat various forms of cancer, including testicular, ovarian, and bladder cancers. While effective, it is known to cause permanent hearing loss or tinnitus in many patients, particularly children. The newly recommended drug, Pedmarqsi (sodium thiosulfate), offers a solution specifically for reducing this risk.
Pedmarqsi helps reduce the harmful effects of cisplatin on the inner ear without interfering with the drug’s cancer-fighting properties. It is administered after each cisplatin infusion and has shown promise in clinical trials for reducing the incidence and severity of hearing loss.
“Hearing loss can have a significant impact on the lives of people receiving treatment for cancer, particularly in children, where it can affect speech, language, and social development. Today’s decision marks an important step forward in preventing this life-changing side effect.”
–Meindert Boysen, Dir. of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE
The recommendation follows a thorough review of clinical and cost-effectiveness data, with results demonstrating that Pedmarqsi effectively reduces hearing loss without compromising the efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy.
The drug is particularly significant for pediatric cancer patients, as hearing loss at a young age can have long-term effects on speech and cognitive development. NICE’s endorsement ensures that more patients in the UK will have access to this treatment, improving their quality of life during and after cancer therapy.
This decision aligns with ongoing efforts to minimize the side effects of cancer treatments while maintaining their therapeutic benefits. Healthcare professionals across the UK are now expected to incorporate Pedmarqsi into treatment protocols for eligible patients undergoing cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
For more details on the NICE recommendation, visit NICE’s official announcement here.
Source: NICE
