Patients in England with a specific type of incurable breast cancer can now access a life-extending drug on the National Health Service (NHS), two years after it was initially deemed too expensive.

Enhertu has demonstrated the ability to give patients an average of nearly seven extra months of life, with some individuals experiencing extended survival of up to three years. This development follows a period of campaigning by charities and patients, particularly after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated in 2024 that Enhertu did not represent good value for money.

As of Thursday, doctors in England are authorized to prescribe Enhertu. Guidance indicates that Wales is expected to follow suit shortly, although the decision does not automatically extend to Northern Ireland. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the drug's potential, stating that it can be life-changing and that NHS patients will finally benefit from it, attributing the outcome to the persistent efforts of campaigners and charities.

The decision is anticipated to impact approximately 1,000 women annually who are diagnosed with HER2-low breast cancer. Charity Breast Cancer Now noted that while the campaigners' persistence has yielded results, many individuals have tragically missed out on access to Enhertu during the delay. The charity's chief executive, Claire Rowney, remarked that while the decision is a victory, it is impossible to celebrate without acknowledging the "devastating cost of this delay."

Kate Wills, 51, who has HER2-low metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her bones and lungs, shared her emotional reaction to the news. "I really can't believe it. I'm so relieved, I'm overjoyed," she said, expressing that the availability of Enhertu provides "enormous hope" in a situation where maintaining hope can be exceptionally difficult.

Living with stage four cancer, Wills had been focused on remaining alive long enough for her teenage and early-twenties children to complete their education. The prospect of future milestones, such as seeing her children fall in love and get married, now seems more attainable. However, her joy is tempered by thoughts of other women, including friends, who did not receive the drug in time.

One such individual was Jeannie Ambrose, who, at 53, had expressed a strong will to live in a previous interview with BBC News, stating, "I'm not ready to die yet."

Enhertu is already available on the NHS in Scotland since 2023 and is approved for use in 26 other European countries, highlighting a disparity in access within the UK.