The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the use of the drug ribociclib (brand name Kisqali) for the treatment of early-stage hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer in England. This decision will allow up to 4,000 patients annually to receive this drug in combination with hormone therapy, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing The Guardian.
Ribociclib, taken daily with an aromatase inhibitor, targets the CDK4 and CDK6 proteins that slow down tumor growth. Clinical trials have shown that this combination can reduce the likelihood of cancer recurrence by nearly 29% compared to hormone therapy alone.
However, some charities have expressed concerns that many patients at high risk of recurrence but without lymph node involvement are excluded from the program due to cost-effectiveness considerations. Claire Rouni, CEO of Breast Cancer Now, called for urgent collaboration between NICE and the drug’s manufacturer, Novartis, to expand access to treatment.
Earlier we wrote that by 2050 breast cancer will be detected in every 20th woman.