8th Jul 2026 13:34
(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC and Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd are progressing towards a deal which could bring access to breast cancer drug Enhertu for some patients in England and Wales, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Citing "multiple people familiar with the negotiations" between Astra, Daiichi and England's pricing regulator, Bloomberg noted that the drug is already widely available in the US and EU. Enhertu was jointly developed by Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical firm Astra and Tokyo-based peer Daiichi.
"The roughly 1,000 women in England and Wales who could benefit from the drug are currently being denied it as the medicine is viewed as too expensive by the drug cost regulator, the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence [NICE]," Bloomberg noted.
However, one of Bloomberg's confidential sources told it that the discussions "could be upended at the last minute due to factors that include changes in the UK government expected in the coming weeks".
Also, one of the people noted that alongside compromises from the two companies, the US and UK's recent trade deal is "helping to smooth the way" for an agreement on Enhertu. The trade deal "raised the threshold at which medicines are deemed to be value-for-money to the NHS," Bloomberg explained.
Spokespeople for AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo said the firms "remain fully committed to working in partnership with the system to find a way forwards for patients," and that talks continue with NHS England and NICE to identify a solution to support access to Enhertu for metastatic breast cancer patients with low levels of the HER2 protein.
AstraZeneca shares were down 1.0% at 14,224.00 pence on Wednesday afternoon in London. Daiichi Sankyo shares closed down 0.1% at JPY2,717.00 in Tokyo.
By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
Astrazeneca