Life-changing breast cancer drug offered to women on NHS in major U-turn – after years-long campaign

A MAJOR U-turn from the NHS spending watchdog means thousands of women with breast cancer will now be able to get a life-extending drug for free. Patients, many of whom spent years campaigning for access to Enhertu, said they were “thrilled” that the drug had finally been approved for NHS use in England – making it possible for them to spend precious extra time with loved ones. Breast cancer drug Enhertu has been approved for NHS use in England Credit: PA It comes after relentless campaigning from charities and celebrities, including ‘Loose Women’s’ Nadia Sawhala Credit: Jon Bond But the moment was bittersweet for many, with campaigners noting some women with incurable breast cancer had “died waiting” for Enhertu to be made available. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rejected the treatment for use on the NHS in England in 2024, stating it was “not cost effective”. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! This led to calls for the NHS to change its drug funding system. NICE has now announced that it has reversed an initial decision to reject the drug, saying that the treatment will be made available “from today” for around 1,000 women with HER2-low advanced breast cancer. This is an aggressive and fast-growing form of the disease, which accounts for roughly one in five breast cancer cases. The watchdog said a “commercial solution [had] been agreed” – off the back of a trade deal with the US, where the UK government agreed to spend 25 per cent more on medicines following threats from Trump to impose tariffs on UK pharmaceutical exports. NICE has now increased how much the NHS will pay for every extra year of good quality life a medication can give – known as a QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year) – to a maximum of £35,000, instead of £30,000. It also introduced changes in the way it measures patients’ quality of life, in order to determine if a drug is cost effective – which helped tip the balance in favour of approving Enhertu. Most read in Health The drug is the first licensed treatment for patients with HER2-low breast cancer that can’t be removed surgically or that has spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastatic breast cancer. Enhertu is given via a drip in hospital every three weeks. It’s not a cure, but it can help breast cancer patients live longer. It works by hunting down breast cancer cells and binding to HER-2 proteins on their surface, before delivering a powerful dose of chemotherapy directly to the tumour. Clinical trials have found that women who took the drug survived for around two years, compared with 17.5 months for those who had chemotherapy. The treatment, also known as trastuzumab deruxtecan and made by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, has been available in Scotland for more than two years – and is also available in 27 European countries. Claire Rowney, chief executive of the charity Breast Cancer Now, said the approval had come after “relentless campaigning”. Paula Van Santen, 51, from Banbury, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in July 2022 Credit: PA Kathryn Hulland, 48, from Devon, pictured with daughter Grace, was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2019 Credit: PA “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 extra time with loved ones,” she said. “More ordinary days that become extraordinary because they were there. “This milestone victory belongs to every person who refused to accept that access to a life-extending treatment was out of reach. “For people in England, the wait for Enhertu is finally over. “We must now also see Wales and Northern Ireland make Enhertu available for use on the NHS for those who need more time to live.” She added: “Since 2024 when it was first rejected for use, thousands of people have missed out on access to Enhertu and tragically many have died. “We remember with deep gratitude the women who stood alongside us and fought for this very moment.” Paula Van Santen, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in July 2022, said that the announcement has given her a “new sense of hope”. The 51-year-old mum-of-three, from Banbury, said: “Today is a day I never thought I’d see. “After years of waiting and hoping, there aren’t enough words to express how thrilled I am to see Enhertu finally approved for use on the NHS. “Having access to this life-extending treatment brings a new sense of hope. “It gives me the chance of seeing my daughter graduate from university, become a grandparent for the first time and simply be a mum to my children for longer as they continue to grow. “These are life’s simple privileges that many of us take for granted, but which mean everything to me and thousands of others living with incurable metastatic breast cancer. That’s the difference a decision like this can make.” Patient Kathryn Hulland, 48, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2022, said the decision would give her more time with her nine-year-old daughter Grace. The mum, from Devon, said: “I may still be here to support my nine-year-old daughter into high school. “When I was first diagnosed, I was told I’d be lucky to see 12 months. “Three years later I know how important every extra month is.” Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: “I’m pleased that a commercial solution, alongside recent changes to Nice’s cost-effectiveness thresholds and the use of new methods for assessing quality-of-life, has meant this treatment can now be provided on the NHS. “However, we know this decision comes too late for many families, and our thoughts are with them today.” Comment now