Hope for Thousands as NHS Approves New Advanced Breast Cancer Drug

In a breakthrough for  breast cancer treatment, the United Kingdom has approved a new drug, capivasertib, for use within its National Health Service (NHS). The announcement, made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Friday, marks what scientists are calling a “landmark moment” in cancer care.

The drug—marketed under the name Truqap and developed by British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca—is designed to slow the spread of HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, a common but currently incurable form of the disease.

According to NICE, more than 1,000 women in the UK stand to benefit from the twice-daily pill each year. Capivasertib works by blocking a protein responsible for telling cancer cells to grow and divide, effectively delaying the progression of the disease.

“This approval is a triumph for patients with advanced breast cancer who have limited treatment options,” said Kristian Helin, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. “Capivasertib can halt disease progression, especially in patients with specific genetic mutations.”

The drug is particularly promising for patients whose cancer carries certain genetic mutations, which are present in about half of those with this type of cancer. The pill is administered alongside fulvestrant, a hormone therapy. Results from clinical trials showed that the combination extended the time before the cancer worsened by an average of 4.2 months, compared to a placebo and fulvestrant alone.

Helen Knight, Director of Medicines Evaluation at NICE, noted that the drug could delay the need for chemotherapy and its taxing side effects. “People with advanced breast cancer would value treatments like capivasertib, especially when other options are limited.”

Data from 2020 revealed that 40,192 people were diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, with nearly 15% diagnosed at an advanced stage. The introduction of capivasertib to the NHS treatment portfolio is expected to significantly improve the quality of life and survival rates for patients battling advanced forms of breast cancer.