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Thousands of women in England with incurable breast cancer have been granted fresh hope thanks to a drug that extends life for up to three years.
The approval of the treatment Enhertu for NHS patients is a major U-turn from drug chiefs, who initially ruled it was not good value for money.
The medicine – which treats a type of breast cancer called HER2-low – has been available in Scotland since 2023, as well as 26 European nations.
A recent trade deal with the US that affects the UK’s budget for medicines, and changes to the official way value for money is measured, are said to have driven the shock decision.
The move has been described as bittersweet by charities and patients, following several years of relentless campaigning for the drug’s approval, during which time many women died.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of charity Breast Cancer Now, said: ‘Today we can finally say we did it.’
However, she added: ‘We can’t celebrate this momentous decision without remembering the devastating cost of this delay.’
Campaigners in Westminster in July 2024 painted their breasts to send a message that Enhertu should be made available on the NHS
Enhertu, also known as trastuzumab deruxtecan, costs around £10,000 per patient per month in the US but the NHS can negotiate lower drug prices.
It is given as an infusion, typically once every three weeks.
Findings presented last year at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago showed Enhertu was a ‘highly effective’ drug that should become the first port of call for patients with this form of breast cancer that has spread.
Speaking of today’s approval, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘Enhertu can be life-changing, and this recommendation means NHS patients will finally be able to benefit from it.
‘It is a tribute to the campaigners and charities who never stopped pressing for this.’
Around 1,000 women in England with HER2-low advanced breast cancer will be able to access Enhertu from today.
This form of the disease is when the cancer cells have low amounts of the HER2 protein.
The drug already treats HER2-positive breast cancer – a fast-growing version of the disease.
On average, the treatment extends life for those with HER2-low breast cancer by seven months. But in some cases women can live up to three years longer.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said she is pleased Enhertu can be made available on the NHS.
But she acknowledged that the decision ‘comes too late for many families’.
‘Our role is important in ensuring NHS spending on new medicines reflects the benefits they deliver while protecting valuable health resources for other essential patient services,’ she added.
Dr Anne Rigg, consultant medical oncologist and NHS England’s national specialty adviser for chemotherapy, welcomed the ‘hugely positive news’ that will give women ‘the opportunity for more time with their loved ones’.
‘We know how important this will be for women and families affected,’ she said.
