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Prof Lawler said it is 'not good' that the drug is not yet available in Northern Ireland.

Prof Lawler said he cannot specifically comment on whether the reason is departmental finances but that would be his 'sense of the issue'.

Since 2015, NHS patients have received Keytruda via intravenous infusion.

Keytruda is an immunotherapy drug used to treat multiple cancers.

The Department of Health (DoH) is 'aware' of the jab and is 'exploring' how to make it available in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.

Prof Mark Lawler warned that Northern Ireland patients risk being left behind in a 'postcode lottery'.

The injection reduces administration time from over an hour to a couple of minutes.

A new injectable form of Keytruda is being rolled out for patients in England and Wales starting Monday to treat more than a dozen different cancers.