A new five-minute ‘super jab’ that helps to treat 15 different types of cancer is being rolled out across the country.
The NHS is the first in Europe to offer the new injection.
The health service is rolling out an injectable form of immunotherapy, called nivolumab, which means patients can receive their fortnightly or monthly treatment within just five minutes, instead of up to an hour via an IV drip.
The new jab can be used to treat 15 cancer types, including skin cancer, bladder, and oesophagus, and it’s estimated around 1,200 patients in England per month could benefit.
Following the approval from the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), it’s said that the roll-out will save more than a year’s worth of treatment time for patients and NHS teams annually, and enable patients to spend less time in hospital while freeing up staff capacity to deliver more appointments and treatments.
The NHS is rolling out five-minute ‘super jab’ to treat 15 different types of cancer / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
In clinical trials, patients were found to be ‘highly satisfied’ with the under-the-skin injection, which takes up to five minutes maximum to administer, and said they much preferred it to the IV form of the drug which takes 30 to 60 minutes every two weeks or four weeks, depending on the cancer type.
Around two in five patients who currently receive IV nivolumab – which is one of the most widely used cancer treatments – should be eligible for the new jab, the NHS has confirmed.
On top of this, most eligible new patients are also expected to begin on the injectable form of nivolumab, rather than the IV.
The NHS is introducing a new five-minute injection for 15 types of cancer, including skin, bladder and oesophageal.
NHS staff administering the jab could save around 1,000 hours of treatment time for patients and clinicians every month.
Going forward, NHS cancer services will now be preparing to treat the first patients with the new treatment from next month, which is when supplies of the product are received in the UK, as this will help with the capacity demands in cancer day units, where the drug is currently administered.
“Immunotherapy has already been a huge step forward for many NHS patients with cancer, and being able to offer it as an injection in minutes means we can make the process far more convenient,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer.“
This treatment is used for 15 different types of the disease, so it will free up thousands of valuable clinicians’ time every year, allowing teams to treat even more patients and helping hospital capacity.
“And this is just the latest development in the NHS’s ongoing commitment to provide patients with the latest cancer therapies and treatment options that truly transform lives”.
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Channel 4 needs people from Yorkshire who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wondered how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now's your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: "Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?"
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city - used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare - with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden - which is part of ITV Studios - for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on people from Yorkshire with the 'courage and ingenuity' to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let's prove what we're made of.
Applications close on Sunday 4 October 2026 at midnight, and you must be 18 or above, with a valid UK or ROI passport, to enter.
Emily Sergeant -
1st May 2025 
