New hope for breast cancer patients as life-extending drug now on NHS in England - BBC News
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
More menu
More menu
Search BBC
Home
Climate
World
UK
Business
Tech
Science
Entertainment & Arts
Health
In Pictures
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
New hope for breast cancer patients as life-extending drug now on NHS in England
Patients in England with a specific type of incurable breast cancer can now access Enhertu, a life-extending drug, on the NHS, two years after it was deemed too expensive by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Enhertu offers patients almost seven extra months to live on average—with some living up to three years longer. Women in Scotland have had access since 2023, and it's available in 26 other European countries.
Charities and patients have campaigned for its wider availability since 2024 when NICE ruled Enhertu not cost-effective. From Thursday, doctors in England can prescribe it, with Wales expected to follow soon; however, the guidance doesn't apply to Northern Ireland.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper stated:
"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."
This decision affects approximately 1,000 women annually with HER2-low breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Now's chief executive, Claire Rowney, acknowledged the "persistence" of campaigners but expressed sorrow over thousands of patients missing out on Enhertu and many who have passed away during the delay.
Kate Wills, 51, a HER2-low metastatic breast cancer patient, understands this mix of emotions. She shares:
"It has been incredibly painful to know that Enhertu could keep me alive for longer but I couldn't get it. When I heard it will be available on the NHS, I immediately started crying. I'm so relieved, I'm overjoyed."
Her social media feed depicts a fulfilling life, with occasional medical appointments hinting at her condition. Kate aims to stay alive long enough to see her youngest finish school and expresses hope for her future while remembering those who didn't get Enhertu in time.