‘A big deal’: New drug significantly cuts death rate in most common bladder cancer, study finds

New treatment could be available on NHS within months, writes Conrad Duncan

A study has found antibody-drug conjugates can help to target chemotherapy at cancer cells while ignoring healthy cells (Getty Images)

A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells significantly increases survival for patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to new research.

The class of drugs, known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), work by having an antibody attached to a chemotherapy-like drug, allowing the treatment to only target cancer cells while ignoring normal cells.

A study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that the risk of death was 30 per cent lower with the new drug compared to standard chemotherapy, with an average survival of approximately 13 months for the new drug.