A new medication that can help slow the progression of an incurable form of breast cancer has been approved for use by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), officials announced on 11th of April.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the drug capivasertib—also known as Truqap—for patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, a common type of advanced breast cancer. Scientists have hailed the approval as a major breakthrough.
According to NICE, more than 1,000 women each year could benefit from taking the oral treatment, which is administered twice daily. The drug, developed by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, works by blocking a faulty protein that causes cancer cells to multiply, thereby slowing or even halting the disease’s progression. This could potentially extend the lives of some patients.
Helen Knight, NICE’s director of medicines evaluation, said: “Patients with advanced breast cancer need treatment options that are effective and less harsh than chemotherapy. Capivasertib offers a much-needed alternative that could delay chemotherapy and its side effects.”
This form of breast cancer involves specific genetic mutations and can spread within the breast or to other areas of the body. A recent clinical trial showed that combining capivasertib with the hormone therapy fulvestrant delayed the cancer’s progression by approximately 4.2 months compared to using fulvestrant with a placebo.
The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London praised the decision, noting that it marks the culmination of years of research. Kristian Helin, ICR’s chief executive, said: “This is a significant milestone in treating the most common form of advanced breast cancer. For about half of these patients who have genetic mutations, capivasertib can effectively stall the progression of the disease.”
In 2020, 40,192 people were diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, with nearly 15% already at an advanced stage when diagnosed, NICE reported.
