A breast cancer drug LAST-DITCH has been formally rejected by the NHS watchdog due to its asking price.
In clinical trials, Enhertu, known as trastuzumab deruxtecan, added months or even years to the lives of women with incurable breast cancer that had spread.
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Health chiefs sparred with manufacturers for months above the cost of the medicine.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on Monday issued a final rejection and said pharmaceutical companies were “unwilling to offer a fair price to the NHS”.
Its manufacturers, Daichii Sankyo and AstraZeneca, said they had offered a secret deal that was cheaper than that paid by the NHS in Scotland.
They say a change in England’s cost-effectiveness has harmed patients.
We are outraged that women’s lives are being shortened as a direct result of this
Rachel Franklin
Campaigners including the charity Breast Cancer Now and Nadia Sawalha of Loose Women are furious at the decision.
They estimate that 1,000 more women per year could benefit from the drug if it were approved for HER2-low secondary breast cancer.
Loose Women’s Nadia, 59, said in a social media post: “It’s heartbreaking.
“These are not just patients, they are human beings.”
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Rachael Franklin, head of Breast Cancer Now, said: “We are both devastated and furious that women’s lives will be shortened as a direct result of this failure to agree a solution.
“Patients find themselves in the middle of an impasse over costs and the system that denies them the precious hope of living longer.
“With Enhertu available to women in so many other countries, including Scotlandit is unacceptable that it remains out of reach for women in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“We will do everything in our power to reverse this decision.”
Blame game between two sides
A spokesperson for Daichii Sankyo said: “We are very disappointed and disagree with the decision NICE has made.
“It misclassifies low HER2 metastatic breast cancer as a ‘medium severity’ disease and this hinders patient access.
“We remain committed to working with NICE to find a way forward.”
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: “We are deeply disappointed that we are unable to recommend Enhertu for use on the NHS for HER2-low advanced breast cancer.
“NICE and NHS England have offered as much flexibility as possible, but the companies have not come up with a new price, so we have no choice.
“I would like to thank the breast cancer community for their hard work on this issue and I am sorry we do not have better news.”
What are the signs of breast cancer?
BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
Most women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer.
If treated early, breast cancer can be stopped from spreading to other parts of the body.
Breast cancer can present with a variety of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.
Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but it is always best to have them checked out by your doctor. You should also speak to your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
- discharge from either of your nipples (which may be stained with blood)
- a lump or swelling in either armpit
- dimples in the skin of your breasts
- a rash on or around your nipple
- a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into the breast
Source: SNS
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