About-turn on breast cancer drug is seven-month lifeline
A BREAST cancer drug that could extend the lives of women by seven months will be available on the NHS after the watchdog reversed its decision to reject the treatment.
About 100 women a year with advanced breast cancer will be able to try a new type of immunotherapy.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) overturned its draft rejection of Keytruda, also known as pembrolizumab, and has said women can take the drug in combination with chemotherapy.
The drug is for women with incurable secondary triple-negative breast cancer and its aim is to slow disease progression – buying patients extra time.
One clinical trial suggested the drug can give women an extra seven months to live, compared with if they just did chemotherapy alone.
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “Following its worrying provisional rejection by Nice earlier this year, the reversal of this decision now brings hope to eligible women for whom it could bring precious additional time with loved ones.
“Despite this positive news, we also desperately need to see progress on the Nice appraisal of Trodelvy, which is another potentially life-extending drug that was devastatingly provisionally rejected in April.”
The watchdog worked with Merck Sharp and Dohme, the manufacturer of Keytruda, to resolve the issues highlighted in its previous draft guidance.