Life-extending drug for breast cancer patients now on NHS

From Thursday, English doctors can start prescribing a drug called Enhertu to patients with a specific type of incurable breast cancer, marking a significant victory for campaigners who fought for years to make the life-extending medication available. Enhertu can add nearly seven extra months to patients' lives on average, with some living up to three years longer.

Initially deemed too expensive by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2022, the drug was only made available on the NHS in Scotland in 2023 and is now also accessible in 26 other European countries. Despite the NHS coverage, charities and patients have been pushing for broader access since 2024, when NICE ruled that Enhertu was not good value for money.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that Enhertu can be life-changing and that this recommendation means NHS patients will finally benefit from it. Enhertu is specifically beneficial for about 1,000 women annually who have HER2-low breast cancer, a type that is currently incurable. While charities and campaigners are relieved at the decision, they also mourn the hundreds of women who missed out due to the delay.

Kate Wills, one such patient, expressed her relief and hope that she will live long enough to see her young children fall in love and get married. The drug's availability is attributed to a trade deal with the USA, which led NICE to increase the amount it will pay for each additional year of good quality life, raising the threshold from £30,000 to £35,000.

Although drug companies Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca welcome NICE's decision, they urge for stronger collaboration to ensure equitable access for patients in the future.