A UK man becomes first to receive NHS-funded CAR-T therapy, beating aggressive leukemia.

A 28-year-old Manchester man, Oscar Murphy, became the first UK patient to receive CAR-T cell therapy through the NHS, marking a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. After his aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia returned despite prior treatments, he underwent the experimental therapy that reprograms the immune system to attack cancer cells. Speaking on BBC Breakfast on January 14, 2026, Murphy said he now feels “fine,” expressing hope to return to work, start a family, and live a normal life with his wife Lauren, whom he married in the hospital last month. His doctor, Dr. Eleni Tholouli, highlighted the treatment’s potential to offer long-term survival or a cure for a disease typically fatal within months.