Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

CancerReturn to work and rehabilitationOccupational HealthOHW+

NHS to offer ‘repurposed’ drug to tackle breast cancer

by Nic Paton 10 Nov 2023
by Nic Paton 10 Nov 2023 Breast cancer screening. Better treatments and diagnosis means mortality rates have fallen by two-thirds in the past 20 years.
Image: Shutterstock
Breast cancer screening. Better treatments and diagnosis means mortality rates have fallen by two-thirds in the past 20 years.
Image: Shutterstock

Tens of thousands more women at increased risk of breast cancer are to be offered a ‘repurposed’ NHS drug, after it was licensed in a new use to help prevent the disease.

Anastrozole, which has been used for many years as a breast cancer treatment, has now been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a preventive option, said NHS England. It is hoped the move could help to prevent around 2,000 cases of breast cancer in England.

The drug, which is off-patent, has been shown in trials to reduce the incidence of the disease in post-menopausal women at increased risk of the disease by almost 50%.

It was first recommended as a preventive option by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2017. However, with the treatment being unlicensed in this use, uptake has remained low.

Using NHS England’s Medicines Repurposing Programme, the drug has now been granted a new indication by the MHRA as a preventive option for women at increased risk, including those with a significant family history of the disease.

The programme looks at using existing medicines in new ways to benefit patients and the NHS. It was set up in 2021, is hosted by NHS England and supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, the MHRA, NICE, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer: employers’ role in education and detection

Third of women failing to check regularly for breast cancer

Breast cancer mortality now down by two-thirds

During the pandemic, it was used to repurpose tocilizumab, an arthritis drug, and dexamethasone, a widely available steroid, as treatments for Covid-19.

Around 289,000 women at moderate or high risk of breast cancer could be eligible for the drug. While not all will choose to take it, it is estimated that, if 25% do, around 2,000 cases of breast cancer could potentially be prevented in England, while saving the NHS around £15m in treatment costs, NHS England said.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “Allowing more women to live healthier lives, free of breast cancer is truly remarkable, and we hope that licensing anastrozole for a new use today represents the first step to ensuring this risk-reducing option can be accessed by all who could benefit from it.

“This is the first drug to be repurposed through a world-leading new programme to help us realise the full potential of existing medicines in new uses to save and improve more lives on the NHS. Thanks to this initiative, we hope that greater access to anastrozole could enable more women to take risk-reducing steps if they’d like to, helping them live without fear of breast cancer,” she added.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in England, with 47,000 people being diagnosed each year.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

 

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
Why employers need to rethink retention
next post
UN watchdog urges action to prevent another P&O Ferries scandal

You may also like

Cancer carers feel pressure to return to work...

13 May 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

Returning to work top concern for employees with...

15 Apr 2025

Calls growing for UK national asbestos register

4 Apr 2025

Employers failing to tell cancer carers of their...

31 Mar 2025

Bomb disposal veterans at heightened risk of bladder...

24 Mar 2025

Half of adults globally set to be obese...

3 Mar 2025

How businesses can support young people with cancer...

24 Feb 2025

Brake pad dust more toxic than diesel exhaust...

14 Feb 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today