UK agency nearer backing new breast cancer drugs

Britain's cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE came one step closer on Friday to approving a new class of breast cancer treatments known as aromatase inhibitors.

The decision by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to proceed to its final appraisal means drugs made by the likes of AstraZeneca, Swiss drugmaker Norvatis and Pfizer Inc. could soon be freely available to patients on the country's National Health Service.

NICE said its appraisals committee had prepared a final report and sent it to the institute.

NICE, which is responsible for deciding which medicines are paid for on the NHS, said there was now a 15-day appeal period.

"Subject to any appeal by consultees, the (final appraisal) may be used as the basis for the institute's guidance on the use of the appraised technology in the NHS in England and Wales," the appraisal committee said.

Aromatase inhibitors have been shown in clinical trials to give greater protection than tamoxifen against the risk of breast cancer returning after surgery. Tamoxifen has been used to treat breast cancer for decades.

"This milestone brings us close to ending the postcode lottery for AIs, such as anastrozole, which has been shown to significantly improve women's chances of surviving early breast cancer over and above the benefit seen with tamoxifen," said Professor Jeffrey Tobias of London's University College.

"This recommendation brings the UK in line with some other European countries, where AIs have now become the new gold standard treatment for early breast cancer," said Tobias, professor of cancer medicine at the university.

AstraZeneca, Novartis and Pfizer make Arimidex, Femara and Aromasin respectively. Their drugs chemical names are respectively known as anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane.

Around 41,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and an estimated 60 percent of these have tumours that would be eligible for treatment with AIs.