Hundreds of people with a rare form of eye cancer in England will have access to a “pioneering” drug on the NHS, officials have announced.

Tebentafusp – sold under the brand name Kimmtrak – is the first treatment of its kind for uveal melanoma, which develops from cells in the middle layer of the eye, known as the uvea.

The disease is thought to affect between 500 and 600 people in the UK each year.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has recommended tebentafusp for patients whose uveal melanoma cannot be removed with surgery, or has spread to other parts of the body.

They will need a blood test to determine if they have the genetic markers that make them suitable for the treatment.

More than 100 people each year are expected to be eligible, officials estimate.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “This type of melanoma is difficult to treat when it has spread in the body, so it is great news that the NHS can now offer this pioneering treatment, giving people an option that can extend their lives and offer them valuable extra time with their families and friends.”

Tebentafusp works by attaching to the proteins on the surface of cancer cells and T cells, a type of white blood cell.

This helps the immune system recognise and kill cancer cells, slowing the growth of the disease.

According to NHS England, trials have shown the chance of surviving three years after starting tebentafusp is 27% compared with 18% on the current standard treatment, which is checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy that treats cancer by blocking proteins which can prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells.

Overall survival on tebentafusp was also 21.6 months compared with 16.9 months.

Joanne Foster, 57, from Newcastle, was diagnosed with uveal melanoma in 2013.

She was offered tebentafusp last year through a compassionate access scheme after the cancer spread to her lungs and kidneys.

Joanne Foster
Joanne Foster has been on tebentafusp since last year (Joanne Foster/PA)

“Living with uveal melanoma is both physically and mentally draining – I’ve had my eye removed and ongoing treatment for over a decade, with the uncertainty of not knowing what is round the corner being incredibly difficult, particularly with no treatments available until now,” Ms Foster said.

“The news that tebentafusp is now available for hundreds of current and future NHS patients just like me is the best early Christmas present I could’ve asked for.

“While I know it isn’t a long-term cure, it has shrunk the tumour on my kidney and stabilised my cancer in my lungs, which gives me precious time to spend with my family and loved ones.”

Jo Gumbs, chief executive and founder of Ocular Melanoma UK, described the announcement as “simply incredible”.

“For too long, metastatic uveal melanoma has been a devastating cancer so we look forward to many more improvements in the future so every patient has access to the treatments they need,” she said.