The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a new cancer treatment that could help adults living with malignant ascites spend longer without needing repeated procedures to drain fluid from the abdomen.
The medicine, catumaxomab, which is marketed as Korjuny, has been approved for adults with malignant ascites when standard treatment for their cancer is no longer feasible. The MHRA said the approval provides an additional treatment option for patients whose cancer has progressed to a stage where further conventional treatment may not be suitable.
Malignant ascites occurs when fluid containing cancer cells builds up inside the abdomen. The condition can be uncomfortable and may place a significant physical burden on people living with advanced cancer. Patients with malignant ascites often require a procedure known as paracentesis, where the excess fluid is drained from the abdomen.
Catumaxomab is designed to help delay the need for another drainage procedure. It is a monoclonal antibody, a type of protein-based medicine that targets specific proteins on cells. The treatment recognises epithelial cell adhesion molecule, known as EpCAM, which is found on the surface of certain cancer cells, including cancer cells present in ascitic fluid. It then helps activate the body’s immune system to attack and destroy those cancer cells.
Julian Beach, the MHRA’s Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said malignant ascites can be particularly burdensome for people living with cancer when treatment options become limited. He said the approval provides another treatment option that could extend the period patients live without needing another procedure to drain fluid from their abdomen. The MHRA also said it will continue to closely monitor the safety of catumaxomab.
The evidence supporting the approval included a main clinical study involving 258 patients with malignant ascites and EpCAM-positive cancer who either had no further chemotherapy options or were unable to receive chemotherapy. Patients who received catumaxomab following paracentesis went for around 46 days before needing another drainage procedure, compared with around 11 days for patients who received paracentesis alone.
The results mean that catumaxomab could give some eligible patients a longer period between abdominal drainage procedures. However, the medicine is intended for a specific group of adults with malignant ascites, and its use will be determined by specialist healthcare professionals based on an individual’s cancer and overall clinical circumstances.
Catumaxomab is administered under the supervision of a doctor experienced in cancer treatment. It is delivered through a catheter directly into the abdominal cavity in four separate infusions, with the dose increased at each infusion. Because the medicine activates the immune system, patients can experience reactions associated with immune activation.
Common side effects reported with catumaxomab include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, chills and fatigue. Another possible reaction is cytokine release syndrome, an inflammatory response that can occur when the immune system becomes strongly activated. Patients and healthcare professionals are encouraged to report suspected side effects through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.
The marketing authorisations for the medicine were granted to Atnahs Pharma UK Limited on 2 October 2026. The application was approved under the International Recognition Procedure. The MHRA said the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet would be made available through its medicines products service within seven days of approval.
The MHRA is responsible for regulating medicines and medical devices in the UK, with its work focused on ensuring that medicines meet the required standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. The agency said the benefits of medicines must be considered against their potential risks and that the safety and effectiveness of licensed catumaxomab will continue to be monitored.
For patients and families, the approval does not mean catumaxomab will be suitable for everyone with cancer or abdominal fluid build-up. It is specifically authorised for adults with malignant ascites in circumstances where standard cancer treatment is no longer feasible. Anyone who wants to understand whether the medicine may be appropriate should discuss their individual circumstances with their oncology team or other qualified healthcare professional.
For Nigerians living in the UK, developments in NHS cancer treatment can be particularly important when a diagnosis affects not only the patient but also relatives who may be providing care, travelling to hospital appointments, helping with communication or supporting loved ones through advanced cancer treatment. Nigerian families can sometimes be spread across different UK cities, with relatives in Nigeria also following treatment decisions from thousands of miles away. Understanding what a newly approved medicine is actually designed to treat, who may be eligible and how it is administered can help families have more informed conversations with their medical teams rather than relying on social media claims or information shared informally within community groups. Chijos News will continue to explain important UK health and NHS developments in straightforward language, with a particular focus on what changes in Britain’s healthcare system can mean for Nigerians and other diaspora families building their lives in the UK.
