METUPUK are delighted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) acceptance of Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) for routine use on the NHS.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted:
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer in adults who have received one or more prior anti-HER2 based therapies for routine use on the NHS in Scotland.
Jo Taylor, founder of METUPUK, commented: “Today’s SMC acceptance is another significant milestone for the people in Scotland living with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. There is still a significant unmet need within metastatic breast cancer, and earlier treatment options, as well as equity of treatment across the whole of the UK for fair access, are crucial in tackling the disease burden.”
Sandy Sexton is an advocate for METUPUK and lives in North Lanarkshire. She is currently receiving first line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and will benefit from this drug acceptance. Sandy said, “Living with metastatic breast cancer is a challenging disease which takes a toll both physically and mentally. This decision means my oncologist can use trastuzumab deruxtecan at the second treatment line, where the research shows it is most effective. It is fantastic that patients in Scotland can access best international standard of care for my cancer type.”
Acceptance of trastuzumab deruxtecan after one or more lines of anti-HER2 therapy brings Scotland in line with the rest of the UK and the European Union. Findings from the interim analysis of DESTINY-BREAST 03 trial show that trastuzumab deruxtecan increases the length of time before cancer gets worse, and reduces the risk of death by 36% compared to the control drug, trastuzumab emtansine.
Acceptance of trastuzumab deruxtecan after one or more lines of anti-HER2 therapy means patients in Scotland will gain extra time to spend with their loved ones. It will help bridge some of the gap in drug access between NHS patients and patients in other similar income countries. The UK is a high income country, a member of the G7 and should fund the cancer treatments that patients in other high income counties can access. Restrictive drug access contributes to UK cancer survival comparing poorly to similar income countries.
Improved drug access allows us to stay #BusyLivingWithMets and increase our survival outcomes.
We demand change.
METUPUK
Additional notes:
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu, manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo UK and AstraZeneca UK) is a HER2 directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC). ADCs are targeted cancer medicines that deliver cytotoxic chemotherapy (‘payload’) to cancer cells.