Luxembourg · Sunday, 11 October 2026 Only good news · Every day

England approves drug that extends the lives of patients with advanced breast cancer

Having rejected it in 2024, the medicines appraisal body has recommended Enhertu for the public health service.

England approves drug that extends the lives of patients with advanced breast cancer
Illustrative image · Photo: Angiola Harry / Unsplash

NICE, the body that decides which medicines England’s National Health Service (NHS) pays for, has recommended Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) for people with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer who have already had chemotherapy.

In 2024, NICE had turned the drug down as too expensive. After a campaign by patients and charities and a new pricing agreement, the decision was reviewed. In the DESTINY-Breast04 clinical trial, median survival was 22.9 months with Enhertu, compared with 16.8 months with standard treatment.

The charity Breast Cancer Now called it a milestone and urged Wales and Northern Ireland to make the drug available too. In Scotland, it has been available since 2023.

Original sourceThe Pharmaceutical Journal — read the full story

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