Breast cancer victims to be denied life-extending drug
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Up to 2,000 women with advanced breast cancer will not be given access on the NHS to a drug that could extend their lives, it was announced yesterday.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which makes Tyverb (lapatinib), said the medicine was an effective treatment for advanced breast cancer. But the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has rejected it for use on the NHS in England, citing high costs and the fact it only extends life by a few weeks.
Tyverb is a pill used in combination with the chemotherapy Xeloda (capecitabine) for women with hormone-sensitive advanced breast cancer. It is a last resort for those whose treatment with standard chemotherapies and Herceptin has failed.
According to GSK, Tyverb could increase survival by around three months compared with Xeloda alone. Tyverb is funded in 18 countries including the Czech Republic, Iceland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
However, in final draft guidance which is subject to appeal, Nice said the drug does "not represent good value for money when compared with the alternative... treatment". Sir Andrew Dillon, Nice's chief executive, said the watchdog had been looking at Tyverb for breast cancer since 2007.
"We are disappointed not to be able to recommend lapatinib but evidence suggests it only extends life by a small amount of time – around 10 weeks (2.4 months) – and costs thousands of pounds more than [a] more commonly used NHS treatment for this indication (Xeloda, capecitabine) on its own."
Maggie Alexander, director at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "It is crucial to remember that this drug would not be suitable for all, and patients should speak to their doctor regarding appropriate treatments available to them."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments