After receiving approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS is preparing to roll out a new combination treatment
for brain tumours in children and young people in England.
Dabrafenib with trametinib would be the first ever targeted treatment for children (aged 1-17) with gliomas that have a specific genetic mutation, the health
service said.
The treatment, which can be taken at home, has been found to slow the progression of the disease by over threefold compared to standard chemotherapy in children
with low-grade gliomas that have a BRAF V600E mutation. Clinical trials have shown that it causes fewer side-effects than chemotherapy.
NICE approved the combination treatment on Wednesday 24 April. It will be available on the NHS in the coming months.