A new drug for one of the most common forms of advanced breast cancer, capivasertib, is now available on the NHS in England. Around 3,000 women each year could benefit from the treatment after clinical trials showed it can slow the progression of the disease and shrink tumours in a significant number of patients.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved capivasertib for NHS funding. It is one of a range of treatment options offered to patients whose breast cancer has spread and is no longer curable.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK, with one in seven women diagnosed during their lifetime. Approximately 75% of those affected survive for 10 years or more after diagnosis. In cases where cancer returns and spreads, treatments focus on controlling the disease, managing symptoms, and improving quality of life.
Treatment options for advanced breast cancer include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted drug therapies that block hormones, stimulate the immune system, or interfere with mechanisms that enable cancer cells to grow.
Capivasertib is a targeted therapy that works by blocking the activity of a protein molecule called AKT, which drives cancer growth. The drug has been under development for 20 years, and researchers describe it as one of the most effective cancer therapies seen for advanced disease.
In a clinical trial involving 708 women, capivasertib combined with hormone therapy doubled the time it took for the cancer to grow, from 3.6 months to 7.3 months. Tumour shrinkage was observed in 23% of patients. Researchers highlighted that the drug could delay the need for chemotherapy, which is often associated with severe side effects.
The NICE approval applies in both England and Wales, although full implementation in Wales is pending.
The drug is suitable for patients with specific gene mutations linked to hormone receptor-positive secondary breast cancer – the most common type, which grows in the presence of oestrogen. These mutations are found in up to half of such cases.
Professor Peter Johnson, clinical director for cancer at NHS England, noted that capivasertib offers "an additional option" for patients whose cancer has progressed despite previous hormone therapy, though it may not be appropriate for all patients. It is estimated that more than 1,000 people each year could benefit from the new treatment.
The approval of capivasertib follows initial delays after NICE had earlier rejected it. Advocacy groups have called for faster approval processes for breast cancer treatments in future, arguing that patients should not face unnecessary delays in accessing potentially life-extending drugs.
NICE emphasised that it must assess all new treatments for their clinical effectiveness and cost-efficiency before approving them for NHS use, particularly given the financial pressures on healthcare services.
Over the past seven years, NICE has approved 24 out of 25 breast cancer treatments it has reviewed.
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