Two major drugmakers are reportedly on the verge of striking a deal with the United Kingdom’s pricing regulator over a widely used breast cancer treatment, according to a Bloomberg News report published Wednesday, which cited several people with knowledge of the negotiations.
AstraZeneca and its Japanese partner Daiichi Sankyo have been working toward an agreement with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence — commonly known as NICE — for their cancer drug Enhertu. The agency had previously refused to approve coverage for the medication under the state-funded National Health Service, arguing the drug’s price made it too costly to justify.
A spokesperson for AstraZeneca confirmed to Reuters that conversations are still underway. “Discussions are ongoing with NHS England and NICE to identify a solution to support access to Enhertu for HER2-low metastatic breast cancer patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,” the spokesperson said, declining to offer specifics about the current status of negotiations.
AstraZeneca, Britain’s largest publicly listed company, announced in April a pledge of £300 million — roughly $400 million — in UK investments as a demonstration of its commitment to its home country. The announcement came alongside a bilateral agreement designed to gradually bring UK drug prices closer in line with what American patients pay.
Also in April, AstraZeneca’s chief executive said that recent changes to the UK’s method for evaluating cost-effectiveness had given the company renewed optimism that Enhertu could secure reimbursement at a price the company could accept — even if that price would remain below U.S. levels.
Enhertu is currently approved in 95 countries for treating certain types of breast, stomach, and lung cancers. The drug works by targeting tumors marked by the HER-2 protein and delivering chemotherapy directly to those cancer cells, while leaving healthy tissue largely unaffected.
Daiichi Sankyo, NICE, and NHS did not respond to requests for comment before the story was published.
