Thousands in England set to benefit from ‘repurposed’ drug to prevent breast cancer

Tens of thousands of women in England could benefit from a “repurposed” NHS drug that could help prevent breast cancer.

Anastrozole, which has been used for many years as a breast cancer treatment, has been licensed as a preventive option, in a move that could help prevent around 2,000 cases of breast cancer in England.

The drug, which is off-patent, has been shown in trials to reduce the incidence of the disease in post-menopausal women at increased risk of the disease by almost 50 per cent.

It was first recommended as a preventive option by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2017, however, with the treatment being unlicensed in this use, uptake has remained low.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “It’s fantastic that this vital risk-reducing option could now help thousands of women and their families avoid the distress of a breast cancer diagnosis.

“Allowing more women to live healthier lives, free of breast cancer is truly remarkable, and we hope that licensing anastrozole for a new use today represents the first step to ensuring this risk-reducing option can be accessed by all who could benefit from it.

“This is the first drug to be repurposed through a world-leading new programme to help us realise the full potential of existing medicines in new uses to save and improve more lives on the NHS.

“Thanks to this initiative, we hope that greater access to anastrozole could enable more women to take risk-reducing steps if they’d like to, helping them live without fear of breast cancer.”

Lesley-Ann Woodhams, 61, was offered anastrozole off-label for the prevention of breast cancer due to being at increased risk of developing the disease, and having a family history of breast cancer. She completed the full five-year course of anastrozole in January.

She said: “Taking anastrozole was an easy decision for me, as I’d watched my mum battle breast cancer and my risk was very high.

“Anastrozole reduced my risk of developing breast cancer, meaning I could live a life without constantly worrying or giving a thought to what could be if I’d developed breast cancer.

“It really was a gift, it gave my family and myself peace of mind and more importantly, a continued future to look forward to. I’m grateful for every day I took this drug – it was life-changing.”

She added: “Anastrozole has allowed me to continue living my life as I’d planned.”

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in England, with 47,000 people being diagnosed each year.

Anastrozole is the first medicine to be repurposed through a new multi-agency national programme that looks at using existing medicines in new ways to benefit patients and the NHS.

The treatment is an aromatase inhibitor and works by cutting down the amount of the hormone oestrogen that a patient’s body makes by blocking an enzyme called “aromatase”.

Health minister, Will Quince, said: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK so I’m delighted that another effective drug to help to prevent this cruel disease has now been approved.

“We’ve already seen the positive effect Anastrozole can have in treating the disease when it has been detected in post-menopausal women and now we can use it to stop it developing at all in some women.

“This is a great example of NHS England’s innovative Medicines Repurposing Programme supporting the development of new ways for NHS patients to benefit from existing treatments.”

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at the charity Breast Cancer Now, said: “The extension of anastrozole’s licence to cover it being used as a risk-reducing treatment is a major step forward that will enable more eligible women with a significant family history of breast cancer, to reduce their chance of developing the disease.

“For the past decade, Breast Cancer Now has been tirelessly campaigning with clinicians, researchers and patients for drugs that are found to be effective and safe in new uses to reach people who could benefit, and we were thrilled when NHS England set up the Medicines Repurposing Programme.

“Anastrozole was the first drug to be supported by the programme and this paves the way for improving access to risk-reducing drugs,” she continued.

“We look forward to continuing our work with NHS England to further improve access to these drugs for everyone eligible.”

To receive the Femtech World newsletter, sign up here.