Health
NHS England to prescribe life-extending breast cancer drug Enhertu after cost deal
September 17, 2026 at 05:28 AM · Updated 29d ago
Coverage
4 reports · over 12 hours
BNBBC News
'I can get more time': Breast cancer patient finds out she can get life extending drug
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BNBBC News
Cancer patient told she will get drug which could make her life longer
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TGThe Guardian
Women in England with incurable breast cancer to get life-extending drug on NHS
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BNBBC News
New hope for breast cancer patients as life-extending drug now on NHS in England
(opens the publisher’s site)NICE has recommended the life-extending breast cancer drug Enhertu for routine NHS use in England, reversing a 2024 rejection and making about 1,000 patients a year eligible from Thursday.
- Clinical trials showed Enhertu almost doubled median progression-free survival to 9.9 months from 5.1 months, and extended median overall survival by 6.6 months.
- NICE had rejected Enhertu in July 2024 as too expensive, and reversed course after raising its cost threshold to £35,000 per quality-adjusted life year from £30,000.
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said Enhertu can be life-changing and that NHS patients will finally be able to benefit, crediting the campaigners who pressed for it.
- Breast Cancer Now chief executive Claire Rowney said thousands of patients missed out and many died during the two-year delay.
- A patient with incurable breast cancer in England has been told she will receive Enhertu on the NHS following the cost ruling reversal.
- Patient Kate Wills, who has HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, said she felt relief and hope upon learning she can now access Enhertu on the NHS.
- Enhertu has been available in Scotland since 2023 and in 26 other European countries, with Wales expected to follow shortly but the guidance not applying automatically to Northern Ireland.