A life-extending drug for patients with advanced breast cancer has been approved for use on the NHS in England, reversing a previous rejection and providing new treatment options for patients in Chichester and across the country.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance recommending trastuzumab deruxtecan, known by the brand name Enhertu, for adults with HER2-low advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The treatment becomes available to eligible patients from today, Thursday 17 September 2026.
For patients in the Chichester area, oncology services and chemotherapy are provided at St Richard’s Hospital, which is operated by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. As a national NHS England approval, the drug will be available through the trust’s specialist cancer services for those who meet the clinical criteria.
Clinical Impact and Eligibility
Enhertu is designed for patients whose cancer is classified as “HER2-low” and has progressed following at least one line of chemotherapy. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the drug can extend the lives of patients by an average of approximately six to seven months when compared to standard chemotherapy treatments.
It is estimated that around 1,000 women in England will be eligible for the treatment each year. The drug works by targeting the HER2 protein on the surface of cancer cells and delivering a potent dose of chemotherapy directly into the cell.
The decision to approve the drug follows a significant period of negotiation. NICE had initially rejected Enhertu in 2024 on cost-effectiveness grounds, a move that made England one of the few nations in Europe where the treatment was not routinely available on the public health service.
Regulatory U-turn
The 2026 approval was made possible after a new commercial agreement was reached between NHS England and the drug’s manufacturers, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. This was supported by a revised method for assessing quality of life, which was published on 27 August 2026, alongside an increase in NHS cost-effectiveness thresholds.
According to official NICE guidance, these changes in how the value of life-extending treatments is calculated allowed the drug to meet the requirements for NHS funding.
Patients currently undergoing treatment for secondary breast cancer are advised to speak with their clinical oncology team at University Hospitals Sussex to discuss their specific diagnosis and whether they are eligible to transition to the new treatment. Eligibility depends on the specific HER2 status of the cancer and the patient’s previous treatment history.
