7 October 2015 - A new drug for advanced skin cancer should be made available on the NHS in England, experts recommend.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says pembrolizumab is cost-effective to use in patients who have already tried and not benefited from another drug called ipilimumab.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has already been fast-tracked through approval checks in England via the government's Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

The drug can stall and shrink tumours.

Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. It kills more than 2,000 people in Britain each year.

Pembrolizumab can be given via a drip once every three weeks to keep advanced tumours at bay for as long as possible.

The treatment is considered a "next generation" drug in cancer care, stimulating the body's immune system to fight the disease.

For more details, go to: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34452923