Anastrozole: Thousands to be offered drug to prevent breast cancer in England
Anastrozole, used for many years to treat the disease, has now been licensed as a preventative option.
Recent trials show the drug can reduce the incidence of breast cancer by almost 50% in post-menopausal women at moderate or high risk of the disease.
Charities said it was "a major step forward" for women with a significant family history of the cancer.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67337081 #BreastCancer #Anastrozole #England #prevention
Anastrozole is off-patent, which means more than one company can make it and the drug can be distributed fairly cheaply - around 4p per day per user.
First recommended as a preventative option by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in 2017, its use in this way has now been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as part of NHS England's medicines-repurposing programme. #OffPatent