From the Guardian · · 1m 40s
Life-extending breast cancer drug now on NHS
After price negotiations, thousands of women with advanced HER2-low breast cancer will access Enhertu on the NHS from Thursday.
In brief
After price negotiations, thousands of women with advanced HER2-low breast cancer will access Enhertu on the NHS from Thursday. Enhertu can extend survival by 6.6 months on average for women with incurable HER2-low advanced breast cancer, and is now funded by the NHS after a successful price deal. Originally reported…
Quick answers
- What is HER2-low breast cancer?
- About one in seven of the 60,000 new breast cancer cases diagnosed yearly in the UK are HER2-positive. HER2-low advanced breast cancer is incurable but treatable.
- What is the key takeaway from Life-extending breast cancer drug now on NHS?
- Enhertu can extend survival by 6.6 months on average for women with incurable HER2-low advanced breast cancer, and is now funded by the NHS after a successful price deal.
1,000 women gain access to Enhertu
About 1,000 women a year in England with HER2-low advanced breast cancer will now receive Enhertu on the NHS after a price deal was struck.
What is HER2-low breast cancer?
About one in seven of the 60,000 new breast cancer cases diagnosed yearly in the UK are HER2-positive. HER2-low advanced breast cancer is incurable but treatable.
Enhertu nearly doubles survival time
Clinical trials showed Enhertu extended median progression-free survival from 5.1 months to 9.9 months, and overall survival from 16.8 months to 23.4 months.
“Enhertu almost doubled median progression-free survival compared with normal chemotherapy”
Nice rejected it once, then approved it
Nice rejected Enhertu in July 2024 as too expensive, but reversed course after new price negotiations with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo.
Higher spending threshold helped seal deal
Nice gained freedom in April to recommend treatments costing up to 35,000 pounds per patient annually, up from 30,000 pounds, which helped enable Enhertu's approval.
Two years of campaigning paid off
Breast Cancer Now and cancer specialists campaigned for two years to get Enhertu approved. Scotland has offered it since December 2023, and 27 European countries provide it.
“This is a momentous day for thousands of people who will now have access to a drug that will give them the opportunity to gain precious time with loved ones”
Wales and Northern Ireland likely next
Ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to implement Nice's recommendation and make Enhertu available in those nations too.
The headline
Enhertu can extend survival by 6.6 months on average for women with incurable HER2-low advanced breast cancer, and is now funded by the NHS after a successful price deal.
