AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) and Daiichi Sankyo said they are 'disappointed and disagree' with a decision by the UK medicines regulator not to give the green light to a breast cancer drug they jointly developed.
Talks to approve Enhertu for NHS used collapsed over pricing and despite the intervention of Wes Streeting, the health secretary.
The drug, which treats HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, is already available in Scotland and 18 other European countries.
The rejection leaves around 1,000 women annually without access to the life-extending treatment. AstraZeneca accused NICE’s methods of underestimating the severity of the disease, calling for reforms to ensure faster decisions.
Claire Rowney, CEO of Breast Cancer Now, described the failure as “heartbreaking,” saying patients are being denied precious time with loved ones.