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

The first leukaemia patient to receive a breakthrough treatment since it was made available on the NHS has said it was “fantastic” and “very sci-fi”.

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

BBC News was present on 2 January when Oscar received the first of two infusions of his own immune cells, which had been genetically modified to recognise and target his cancer.

NHS England has agreed to fund the immunotherapy at several centres across the country. About 50 NHS patients a year are likely to benefit from it.

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

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

“The leukaemia I’ve got is so fast-acting,” the car salesman from Bury said. “It needs an even quicker response to stop it. And we’ve now got an answer for that.”

In a clinical trial, 77% of patients went into remission after treatment, with half showing no signs of cancer after three and a half years.

On average, the treatment gave patients 15.6 additional months of life.

Oscar’s haematologist, Dr Eleni Tholouli, said the CAR-T therapy was safer than existing treatments, with fewer side-effects and much more effective.

“Usually, this type of leukaemia is very aggressive and adult patients don’t live beyond six to eight months. With this therapy, we are able to offer them years and potentially a cure.

“It’s very significant and is revolutionising the way we tackle this cancer.”

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

Last month, Oscar had T-cells – a type of white blood cell – removed and sent to a lab in Stevenage.

The cells were then reprogrammed using a harmless virus to introduce a genetic sequence that enables them to identify the cancer.

New surface receptors can then recognise and are able to attach to cancer cells – like a lock and key – and mark them for destruction.

They become “chimeric antigen receptor T-cells” – or CAR T-cells – and their numbers are greatly expanded in the lab to make millions of copies.

Oscar’s personalised treatment, or living drug, was cryopreserved and sent to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The tiny bag containing Oscar’s personalised treatment held 100 million CAR T-cells in just three teaspoons of liquid, and it took only a few minutes to infuse into his bloodstream.

Oscar said he was surprised the treatment could pack such a powerful punch in such a small dose.

“It’s very sci-fi, but if it means it gets rid of the cancer permanently and my own cells can do it it’s just fantastic.”

Oscar had a second infusion of 300 million cells yesterday, marking the end of his CAR-T treatment.

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

The CAR-T therapy is manufactured by Autolus, a spin-out company from University College London.

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

The list price of the treatment is £372,000 per infusion, but the NHS has a confidential discount.

It will be available to patients over the age of 26 whose B-cell ALL has not responded to treatment or has returned at several centres in England, 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 that around 50 patients a year may benefit, but Tholouli told the BBC she believed it could be more, and predicted it would eventually be used as a first-line treatment instead of stem cell transplantation.

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

He added it was “remarkable” the treatment now delivered at NHS centres had been developed from scientific research within the UK.

“It will help more people like Oscar live longer and healthier lives.”

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

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

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

“I have fantastic support from my family and they are over the moon.”

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

He told the BBC he wanted to “get it done” because of the uncertainties surrounding his condition, but the couple have another ceremony booked for October.

“I want children and the white picket fence with my amazing wife – I just want that normality. This is my gateway to doing it and I can’t wait.”