- Published
Patients in England with a specific type of incurable breast cancer can now access a life-extending drug on the NHS, two years after it was deemed too expensive by a health body.
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it → publish → body
Enhertu can give patients almost seven extra months to live on average - with some living up to three years longer.
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some → give → months
Women in Scotland have had access to the drug on the NHS since 2023, and it is available in 26 other European countries.
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it → have → countries
Charities and patients have campaigned for it to be more widely available since 2024, when the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said Enhertu was not good value for money.
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Enhertu → campaign → money
From Thursday, doctors in England are now able to prescribe it, with Wales expected to follow shortly but the guidance doesn't automatically apply to Northern Ireland.
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guidance → prescribe → Ireland
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Enhertu can be life-changing, and this recommendation means NHS patients will finally be able to benefit from it.
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patients → say → it
"It is a tribute to the campaigners and charities who never stopped pressing for this.
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who → stop → this
This decision will affect about 1,000 women a year with a specific type of breast cancer, HER2-low.
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decision → affect → cancer
Charity Breast Cancer Now said that while campaigners' "persistence paid off", thousands of people have missed out on access to Enhertu and many have died.
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many → say → Enhertu
The charity's chief executive, Claire Rowney, said: "Today we can finally say we did it."
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we → say → it
However, she adds that "we can't celebrate this momentous decision without remembering the devastating cost of this delay".
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we → add → delay
Kate Wills, 51, understands this mix of emotions.
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Wills → understand → emotions
She has HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, which has spread to her bones and lungs.
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which → have → bones
But nothing about her suggests that she is terminally ill.
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she → suggest → her
She has a high-powered job and is a wife and mum.
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She → have → job
Her social media feed shows a full and happy life - only the occasional medical appointment hints all is not well.
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all → show → life
Kate says it has been "incredibly painful" to know that Enhertu could keep her alive for longer but she couldn't get it.
uncertain
she → say → it
When she hears it will be available on the NHS, she immediately starts crying.
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she → hear → NHS
"I really can't believe it.
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I → believe → it
I'm so relieved, I'm overjoyed," she says.
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she → overjoy → ?
"It's so hard keeping hope when you have stage four cancer.
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you → keep → cancer
This gives me enormous hope."
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This → give → hope
Kate has been aiming to stay alive long enough for her youngest to finish school.
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youngest → aim → school
She smiles through her tears as she says: "Now I've just dared to dream that I might be around to see them fall in love, to get married.
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them → smile → love
Her first thought is for "those women, my friends, who didn't get this in time".
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who → get → time
One of those was Jeannie Ambrose, who was full of life and fight when she spoke to BBC News two years ago aged 53.
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she → speak → 53
She told us: "I'm not ready to die yet.
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I → tell → us
I want to stay alive, I want to keep living.
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I → want → ?
I should be concentrating on enjoying time with my family and friends.
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I → concentrate → family
I should not be campaigning, using the time I've got left to fight."
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I → campaign → time
Jeannie died in January this year.
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Jeannie → die → January
Kate says her friend would would be "thrilled but also angry at how long it's taken and how rejected we've felt".
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we → say → ?
The BBC understands that the drug companies Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca have not substantially lowered their prices since the drug was first rejected.
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drug → understand → prices
The reason NICE has reversed its decision is largely because of a trade deal with the USA, where the UK government agreed to spend 25% more on medicines.
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government → reverse → medicines
As part of this, NICE has increased how much the NHS will pay for every extra year of good quality life a medication can give.
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medication → increase → life
This is known as a QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year) - and the upper threshold per QALY has gone from £30,000 to £35,000.
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threshold → know → 35,000
At the end of August, NICE also introduced a different, more nuanced, way of measuring a patient's quality of life.
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NICE → introduce → life
These two changes were enough to tip the balance.
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changes → tip → balance
It is thought that patient campaigns for Enhertu - and other drugs - have helped too.
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campaigns → think → Enhertu
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca welcome NICE's decision, but the latter is calling for "strong collaboration" across the healthcare system to ensure "faster, more equitable patient access in the future".
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latter → welcome → future
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
