New drug helps many women with breast cancer prolong their lives

The drug will be provided to thousands of women with late-stage breast cancer - Photo: FREEPIK

The drug, marketed as Truqap and manufactured by AstraZeneca, will be made available to thousands of women with advanced breast cancer in England and Wales, according to The Guardian .

New Hope for Breast Cancer Patients

The drug is a targeted therapy, working in a novel way – blocking the activity of a protein molecule called AKT, which drives cancer growth. Scientists began developing the drug 20 years ago and say it is the most effective cancer drug they have ever seen against advanced cancer, the BBC reports.

In trials of 708 women, when combined with hormone therapy, the drug doubled the time it took for cancer to grow, from 3.6 months to 7.3 months, and shrank tumors in 23% of patients.

“The drug offers a very effective option that can last for a long time – months, and in some people, possibly years,” said Nick Turner, lead researcher and professor of medical oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital.

“The drug can significantly delay chemotherapy, which many women dread because of the side effects,” he added. “Later-stage breast cancer is treatable, and we want better, more humane treatments.”

The drug, which has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), will be funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund in England but funding in Wales has not yet been confirmed.

Regulators consider price factor

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one in seven women affected during their lifetime and 75% surviving 10 years or more from diagnosis.

Professor Peter Johnson, clinical director for cancer at the NHS, said the drug offered “an additional option” for some people whose cancer had progressed despite previous hormone treatment.

Claire Rowney, chief executive of the charity Breast Cancer Now, said she was “delighted” the drug would offer hope to some people. However, she said patients had been “unnecessarily delayed” after the drug was initially rejected by NICE, and the breast cancer drug should be approved more quickly for those who need it.

“NHS England must move quickly to ensure those eligible receive the drug without further delay,” she said.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Professor Johnson said NICE had to look closely at the evidence when approving new drugs for the NHS, and those discussions included how much the drugs would cost.

“We have to make sure the treatments we introduce are cost-effective for the NHS. In these difficult times, money is not always available. We need to make sure the price of the medicine and how it is used really provides good value for the NHS,” said Professor Johnson.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thuoc-moi-giup-nhieu-phu-nu-ung-thu-vu-keo-dai-thoi-gian-song-20250411184942596.htm