In a significant development for breast cancer treatment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued a final draft guidance recommending olaparib (brand name Lynparza) for treating HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in adults with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
This decision, announced on 9 January 2025, could benefit approximately 1,200 people in the UK.
NICE's endorsement of olaparib, produced by AstraZeneca, marks a crucial step forward in the treatment of breast cancer. This recommendation applies to patients who have previously undergone chemotherapy. For those with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, endocrine therapy is also required unless deemed unsuitable.
NICE initially reviewed olaparib in 2018, but the appraisal was halted due to a lack of submitted evidence from the manufacturer. The recent positive decision follows new evaluations of olaparib's effectiveness and builds on a commercial deal negotiated by NHS England (NHSE) in 2023.
Clinical trials indicate that patients treated with olaparib experience a longer duration before their cancer progresses compared to those receiving additional chemotherapy. NICE utilized its expedited cost comparison process to evaluate olaparib. To achieve a positive recommendation, the company had to demonstrate that olaparib offers comparable or superior health benefits to talazoparib, another treatment recommended by NICE for this patient group, at a similar or lower cost.
The Institute of Cancer Research welcomed the recommendation in a post on its X.com account, saying:
“We're pleased that @NICEComms have recommended that olaparib can be used for NHS patients with advanced #BreastCancer.
“The treatment offers the chance of longer, healthier lives for people with breast cancer caused by faulty #BRCA1 or #BRCA2 genes.”
We're pleased that @NICEComms have recommended that olaparib can be used for NHS patients with advanced #BreastCancer.
— The ICR (@ICR_London) January 9, 2025
The treatment offers the chance of longer, healthier lives for people with breast cancer caused by faulty #BRCA1 or #BRCA2 genes.https://t.co/o9f73JXrvq pic.twitter.com/OOgwrXDonT
Although olaparib has not been directly compared to talazoparib in clinical trials, indirect comparisons suggest that its effectiveness is likely similar. Once the draft guidance becomes final next month, NICE will have made positive recommendations for 23 out of 24 breast cancer treatment appraisals since 2018.
Image credit: iStock
