Breast cancer sufferers in England have been denied access to a life-extending drug, which was approved in Scotland last month, after the watchdog branded it as “too expensive”.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) rejected the use of sacituzumab govitecan, also known as Trodelvy, because it was considered “too expensive” to be a “cost-effective use of NHS resources”.

Around 650 women with advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer would have benefited from the drug, which increases how long patients live compared with standard chemotherapy.

The treatment is given intravenously and typically requires three doses per a 21-day cycle, equating to £2,379 per cycle. However, the dosage level and length of treatment can vary per patient.

Charities have said that women in England are being “left behind” compared to those north of the border, after Trodelvy was recommended for use on the NHS in Scotland last month.

Around one in five breast cancer cases in England are triple negative, which is a more aggressive cancer and accounts for a quarter of all deaths.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, the chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said the decision was a “devastating blow”.

“Evidence shows Trodelvy can increase time before a patient’s disease progresses and, crucially, how long they live compared to being treated with chemotherapy,” she said.

“These women, who already face devastatingly poorer prognoses and limited treatment options, deserve the chance to benefit from this new treatment option.”

Manufacturer urged to make drug more cost-effective

The charity is urging the drug’s manufacturer, Gilead, NICE and NHS England “to do everything in their power” to ensure Trodelvy becomes available to women in England.

Trodelvy is an antibody drug which targets proteins at the surface of the cancer cells, preventing the cells from multiplying and eventually killing them.

Helen Knight, the interim director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said the watchdog was “very disappointed” the price of the drug meant it could not be recommended “given the lack of treatment options for people with this type of breast cancer”.

“We hope that the company will consider what it can do to enable NICE to approve a treatment that has the potential to give people with advanced triple negative breast cancer more time with their loved ones,” she said.

The draft guidance is available for public consultation until April 29.

A spokesperson for Gilead said it would be “working closely” with NICE to address any questions around cost-effectiveness, but added “we believe we have put forward a strong, cost-effective case … are deeply concerned by the prospect of unnecessary delay, especially in a cancer where every day matters”.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We recognise that business as usual on cancer is not enough – that’s why we have redoubled our efforts and are developing a 10-Year Cancer Plan to set out how we will lead the world in cancer care.”

“With record numbers of nurses and staff overall working in the NHS, we will tackle the Covid backlog and deliver long-term reform, including by reducing waiting times for cancer patients.

“We invested an extra £2 billion in 2021 and £8 billion over the next three years to cut the backlog and deliver an extra nine million checks, scans and operations by 2025. We will also deliver up to 160 community diagnostic centres across the country by 2025, 73 of which are open already.”