Nine new treatments approved by NICE in active June cycle, with two appraisals terminated

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued thirteen Technology Appraisal decisions in June 2026, delivering nine positive recommendations, one updated recommendation, and two terminations. Oncology dominates the cycle, with approvals spanning lung, cervical, gastric, and haematological cancers. Decisions were issued between 3 and 24 June 2026 and cover both common and rare conditions affecting NHS patients in England and Wales.

The June cycle also includes a significant update to the existing recommendation for nusinersen in spinal muscular atrophy, as well as a positive second appraisal for a CAR-T cell therapy in large B-cell lymphoma — a treatment pathway that continues to expand within the NHS.

Oncology

Tivdak recommended for cervical cancer

Tisotumab vedotin (Tivdak), an antibody-drug conjugate developed by Genmab and Pfizer (via Seagen), received a positive NICE recommendation on 11 June 2026 for previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. Tivdak targets tissue factor, a protein highly expressed on cervical cancer cells, and delivers a microtubule-disrupting payload directly to tumour cells. The approval addresses a population with limited options following progression on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Libtayo recommended for non-small cell lung cancer

Cemiplimab (Libtayo), developed by Regeneron, was recommended on 16 June 2026 for previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumours express PD-L1. Libtayo is a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor that restores the immune system’s ability to recognise and destroy cancer cells. The recommendation offers a further immunotherapy option in first-line NSCLC alongside existing PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors already available on the NHS.

Darzalex Faspro quadruplet recommended for multiple myeloma

NICE recommended the four-drug combination of daratumumab SC, lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (D-VRd; Darzalex Faspro, Revlimid, Velcade) on 24 June 2026 for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Submitted by Janssen Biotech, this subcutaneous daratumumab-based quadruplet regimen builds on the established VRd backbone by adding the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab, which has consistently demonstrated improved response rates and progression-free survival in myeloma. The approval positions D-VRd as a potential new standard of care for eligible transplant-eligible and ineligible patients.

Hansizhuang recommended for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

Serplulimab (Hansizhuang), in combination with chemotherapy and submitted by Shanghai Henlius Biotech and Fosun Pharma, received a positive recommendation on 18 June 2026 for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Small cell lung cancer is an aggressive malignancy with a historically poor prognosis, and first-line chemoimmunotherapy has become the standard approach following earlier immunotherapy approvals in this setting. Serplulimab is an anti-PD-1 antibody, and its recommendation provides a further immunotherapy option for patients presenting with extensive disease.

Imfinzi plus FLOT chemotherapy recommended for gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer

Durvalumab (Imfinzi) in combination with FLOT chemotherapy (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) was recommended by NICE on 3 June 2026 as a neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment for resectable gastric cancer and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer (GEJC). Developed by AstraZeneca, the perioperative regimen adds PD-L1 blockade to an established chemotherapy backbone, reflecting evidence that immunotherapy can improve surgical outcomes and reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with potentially curable disease.

Breyanzi receives positive recommendation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi), a CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy developed by Bristol Myers Squibb (via Juno Therapeutics and Celgene), received a positive second appraisal recommendation on 3 June 2026 for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). CAR-T therapies represent a complex and highly personalised treatment modality in which a patient’s own T cells are engineered to recognise and destroy cancer cells. The updated recommendation reflects revised cost-effectiveness evidence and expands NHS access to this potentially curative one-time treatment for patients who have failed two or more prior lines of therapy.

Respiratory & Cardiovascular

Nucala recommended for eosinophilic COPD

Mepolizumab (Nucala), developed by GSK, received a positive recommendation on 17 June 2026 for eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nucala is an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody already established in severe eosinophilic asthma, and this approval extends its indication to a subset of COPD patients characterised by elevated blood eosinophil counts. It represents an important development in COPD management, which has traditionally relied on bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, by targeting an underlying inflammatory mechanism in eligible patients.

Winrevair recommended for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Sotatercept (Winrevair), developed by Acceleron and Merck, received a positive NICE recommendation on 3 June 2026 for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Sotatercept is an activin signalling inhibitor — a first-in-class mechanism of action in PAH — that addresses vascular remodelling, the underlying pathological process driving the progressive increase in pulmonary artery pressure that characterises this condition. Current PAH therapies largely target vasodilation; sotatercept’s distinct mechanism makes it a meaningful addition to the treatment armamentarium, particularly in combination with existing background therapy.

Nexlizet recommended for dyslipidaemia

The combination of bempedoic acid and ezetimibe (Nexlizet), submitted by Esperion Therapeutics and Daiichi Sankyo, was recommended on 24 June 2026 for dyslipidaemia in patients unable to tolerate statins or with an inadequate response to statin therapy. Bempedoic acid inhibits ATP-citrate lyase, an enzyme upstream of HMG-CoA reductase in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, while ezetimibe reduces intestinal cholesterol absorption. The combination provides a non-statin LDL-lowering option for a patient group that includes those with statin intolerance, an issue frequently encountered in clinical practice.

Hepatology & Gastroenterology

Livdelzi recommended for primary biliary cholangitis

Seladelpar (Livdelzi), developed by Gilead Sciences and CymaBay Therapeutics, received a positive recommendation on 24 June 2026 for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare chronic autoimmune liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis if inadequately treated. Seladelpar is a selective PPAR-delta agonist that reduces the production of bile acids and suppresses biliary inflammation. The recommendation is significant for patients who have had an inadequate response to or cannot tolerate ursodeoxycholic acid, which has long been the only licensed first-line treatment for PBC in the UK.

Neurology & Paediatrics

Spinraza recommendation updated for spinal muscular atrophy

Nusinersen (Spinraza), developed by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, received an updated NICE recommendation on 4 June 2026 for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMA is a rare and often severe inherited neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. Spinraza was among the first disease-modifying treatments to be approved for SMA and works by modifying splicing of the SMN2 gene to increase production of functional SMN protein. The updated recommendation likely reflects revised clinical or cost-effectiveness evidence, potentially expanding eligible patient groups or amending existing access criteria.

Terminated Appraisals

Inluriyo appraisal terminated for ER-positive breast cancer

The appraisal of imlunestrant (Inluriyo), an oral selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD) submitted by Eli Lilly and Loxo Oncology, was terminated on 18 June 2026 for oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with ESR1 mutation. ESR1 mutations are a recognised mechanism of resistance to aromatase inhibitors and represent a clinically important unmet need. The reasons for termination were not specified in the available data, though terminated appraisals typically reflect a withdrawal by the company or an inability to agree a managed access arrangement.

Anktiva appraisal terminated for BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer

The appraisal of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept (Anktiva), submitted by ImmunityBio and Accord Healthcare for BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, was terminated on 4 June 2026. BCG-unresponsive disease represents a challenging clinical situation in which patients have failed intravesical BCG immunotherapy — the standard treatment for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer — and face a choice between radical cystectomy or further bladder-sparing treatments. The termination leaves this patient population without a new approved option via NICE at this time.

Decisions referenced carry NICE Positive 1, NICE Positive 2, NICE Update 1, or Terminated status, issued between 3–24 June 2026. This article is based on data from the NICE Technology Appraisal Programme for England and Wales.