NICE backs life-extending Enhertu for HER2-low advanced breast cancer on the NHS
Around 1,000 people with HER2-low advanced breast cancer in England can now be offered Enhertu. It was the only breast cancer drug NICE had been unable to recommend since 2018.
Around 1,000 people with advanced breast cancer in England can now be offered Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan, made by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca) on the NHS.
What NICE decided
NICE has recommended Enhertu for adults with HER2-low advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose disease has progressed after previous treatment. It had turned the drug down in 2024 at the price proposed.
It was the only breast cancer drug NICE had been unable to recommend since 2018. Over that period, 25 other breast cancer treatments were approved.
Why the change
A commercial deal has been agreed, and NICE has changed its methods: it raised its cost-effectiveness thresholds in April and introduced a new way of assessing quality of life in August.
According to NICE, trial evidence showed Enhertu helps people live longer and delays their cancer getting worse compared with standard chemotherapy.
“This is hugely positive news for women with secondary breast cancer who will now be offered this life-extending treatment on the NHS, giving them the opportunity for more time with their loved ones,” said Dr Anne Rigg, NHS England’s national specialty adviser for chemotherapy.
What HER2-low means
Some breast tumours carry small amounts of the HER2 protein: not enough for classic anti-HER2 drugs, but enough for Enhertu, which delivers chemotherapy straight to those cells.
Why it matters
For people living with advanced breast cancer, every month counts. And this shows that a “no” does not have to be final.
