A new drug that could extend the lives of terminal lung cancer patients by around two months has been approved for use by NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), the body which approves drugs for the NHS, gave the health service the green light to use Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) on late-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Two other cancer drugs which treat multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, were rejected by the SMC.

The approval of Pembrolizumab comes after two other cancer drugs were rejected by the SMC despite being available in other parts of the UK.

The additional survival time Pembrolizumab can offer patients "is valuable in the context of limited life expectancy", the SMC said.

Three other medicines were approved for use by NHS Scotland:

Professor Jonathan Fox, chairman of the SMC, said: "I am pleased that we were able to accept four new medicines for routine use in NHS Scotland.

"Through our PACE meeting, we know that Pembrolizumab for NSCLC will be welcomed by patients and their families.

"For patients suffering from iron excess as a result of blood transfusions for MDS, Deferasirox will offer a welcome alternative treatment for those for whom an infusion pump is not an option.

"Eradicating hepatitis C is a key commitment for Scottish Government and new medicines for this condition will help achieve this aim.

"Buprenorphine skin patches will provide a further treatment option for moderate chronic pain in some patients."