Scemblix

Scemblix is a cancer medicine. It is used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a cancer of the white blood cells, in the ‘chronic’ phase (this is when the cancer is developing slowly and the patient has few or no symptoms). It is used in adults whose cancer is ‘Philadelphia‑chromosome positive’ (Ph+). Ph+ means that two of the patient’s chromosomes have rearranged themselves and formed a special chromosome called the Philadelphia chromosome. This chromosome produces an enzyme (protein) known as BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase, that leads to the development of leukaemia. Scemblix is also for use in adults with Ph+ CML in the chronic phase whose cancer cells have a mutation (change) called T315I in the gene that produces the BCR::ABL1 protein and who are not benefiting from or cannot receive treatment with another cancer medicine called ponatinib. CML is rare, and Scemblix was designated an ‘orphan medicine’ (a medicine used in rare diseases) on 24 March 2020. Scemblix contains the active substance asciminib.