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Experts say the treatment will give patients “precious extra time with their families”
A twice-daily pill has been approved for use on the NHS that could slow disease progression in cancer patients “in desperate need” of better treatment options.
The drug, called capivasertib, could benefit up to 3,000 women a year living with the most common type of advanced breast cancer.
Scientists have described the move by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a “landmark moment” that will give many cancer patients “precious extra time with their families”.
The pill has been approved for use in women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer that has spread and has certain genetic mutations – in the PIK3CA, AKT1 or PTEN genes.
Professor Nicholas Turner, from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, led a major trial into the drug.
He said: “This positive NICE recommendation means that thousands of NHS patients with advanced breast cancer with these specific biomarkers can now receive this innovative targeted treatment to keep their cancer from progressing for longer.
“It’s an immensely rewarding moment to see this drug provide patients with a treatment option and precious extra time with their families.
“It is now crucial that advanced breast cancer patients have their cancer tested to identify those who could benefit from this capivasertib combination.”
The drug, made by AstraZeneca, is designed to block the action of a protein that drives cancer cells to multiply, therefore slowing or stopping the spread of the disease.
A clinical trial that looked into the effects of the new pill plus fulvestrant, a hormone therapy, found that the treatment delayed the cancer getting worse by around 4.2 months, compared to a placebo pill taken with the hormone therapy. The delay ranged from 3.1 months to 7.3 months in trial participants.
Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR, said: “This announcement is a triumph that will improve treatment for these patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer.
“Around half of patients with this kind of breast cancer have mutations in one or more of the genes, and for these patients capivasertib can halt disease progression.
“I’m delighted that access to the drug is being expanded to NHS patients in England and Wales who are in desperate need of better options.”
Mutations in the PIK3CA, AKT1 or PTEN genes are found in around half of patients with this form of breast cancer.
HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for roughly 70 per cent of all cases.
Professor Paul Workman, former chief executive of the ICR and researcher in the AKT drug discovery project, has previously said the drug is a “huge breakthrough”.
He said of the NICE approval: “I am delighted to celebrate this landmark moment and see capivasertib become available on the NHS.”
The treatment will not be suitable for all patients, but Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for Cancer at NHS England, said giving patients more time “before more intensive therapies are required is an important part of our drive to personalise cancer care and improve quality of life for patients wherever possible.”
Published: 2025-04-11 05:32:51 | Author: [email protected] (Bethan Finighan) | Source: MEN – News
Link: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Tags: #Innovative #pill #green #light #NHS #landmark #moment #common #deadly #cancer
