Victory in our campaign to extend access to abiraterone – saving hundreds of lives a year

After more than three years of our campaigning, the NHS in England will now offer the hormone therapy abiraterone to men with high-risk localised or locally advanced prostate cancer.  

These men’s cancer is curable, as it's still in or around the prostate, but is at the highest risk of spreading and becoming incurable. Abiraterone has been shown to cut that risk dramatically. 

Thanks to this decision, 3,000 men’s lives will be saved over the next five years. 

The change brings England into line with Wales and Scotland, which made abiraterone available to these men in 2023 – and we’ll continue to push for men in Northern Ireland to have access to the treatment on the same basis as men in the rest of the UK. 

For years, abiraterone has helped to extend the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer that's stopped responding to other hormone therapies. 

Then, in 2022, research showed that a two-year course of abiraterone could also be game-changing for men with high-risk prostate cancer that hasn’t yet spread – halving the risk of their cancer coming back after treatment and halving their risk of dying from the disease. 

That same year, abiraterone’s patent expired, meaning the cost of the treatment to the NHS plummeted from thousands of pounds to less than £2.50 per day.  

Soon afterwards, the NHS in Scotland and Wales made the treatment available to these groups of men – but bureaucratic obstacles meant men in England and Northern Ireland were left out. 

This postcode lottery meant 11 men every week were condemned to an avoidable death. 

In response, we assembled a team of data experts, politicians, patients, researchers, and partners in NHS England to provide the definitive evidence needed to secure abiraterone on the NHS for men across the whole UK. 

Now, thanks to the approval of abiraterone in England, we estimate that this year 1,890 men will avoid the devastating news that their cancer has got worse, and 720 lives will be saved.  

Amy Rylance, our Assistant Director of Health Improvement, said: "This decision is a momentous, lifesaving victory for the thousands of men whose lives will now be saved. Until now, men in England have found themselves in an impossible situation. It’s terrifying to be told you’ve got a cancer that’s likely to spread, to then find out you can’t access the treatment that science has proven to be your best chance at surviving is completely devastating.   

"We refused to accept this outcome for men, and we didn’t stop until we changed it. I’m proud to have stood alongside a phenomenal campaign team at Prostate Cancer UK, and the men who fought tenaciously to get the treatment they need, as well as our supporters in Westminster, partners in the NHS, and the BBC which kept the spotlight on this issue. 

"If you’ve got prostate cancer and are wondering what this means for you, you can contact our Specialist Nurses for confidential support." 

Giles Turner, 65, from Brighton, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in March 2023. Since realising he couldn’t access abiraterone on the NHS, Giles has been tirelessly campaigning to get the drug approved for all men across the UK. Giles paid for his abiraterone treatment privately and is now in remission.  

He said: "Abiraterone saved my life, and I didn’t even know about it until I heard about the research trial that proved how effective it is for men with high-risk prostate cancer like I had. When I asked my oncologist about it, he told me that abiraterone was available on the NHS in Scotland and Wales but not in England.   

"I was shocked and angered that my postcode meant I was denied free access to a treatment that could halve my risk of dying and give me the best chance of a cure.   

"During my treatment, I channelled my anger into campaigning so that we could overturn this great injustice. It’s been a great pleasure working with the skilled experts at Prostate Cancer UK, and journalists like the BBC’s Hugh Pym and Ian Atkinson. I have also worked with and been supported by my family, many fellow patients and friends who have contributed to making this campaign successful.  

"Today’s wonderful news is the culmination of all our determined and dogged efforts. I’m beyond happy that men like me now have fair access to the most effective treatment, that so many lives will now be saved, and that so many families will be spared heartbreak."  

Professor Nick James from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, led the research that proved abiraterone is effective for men like Giles, and he joined our campaign to get it approved across the UK.  

He said: "This extension of abiraterone to men with newly diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread yet is really good news for men in England. Our data from the STAMPEDE trial shows that two years of abiraterone halves the risk of prostate cancer coming back and reduces risk of death by 40%. In the next 5 years, almost 8,000 men will avoid the devastating news that their cancer has come back. 

"Even for men whose cancer does recur, this treatment gives them more healthy years. Very importantly, our research also shows that the reduction in relapses will also save the NHS money in the long run as this will translate into financial savings as well as the big clinical benefit." 

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "When you're living with prostate cancer, every day with your loved ones matters. I’m delighted the NHS has taken the steps needed to make the drug available, giving thousands of men access to abiraterone - a treatment that significantly improves survival rates and can give patients precious extra years of life."

Danny Beales, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has lent significant support to Prostate Cancer UK’s campaign by raising its profile in Westminster.  

He said: "I am delighted that the Government and NHS England have listened to our campaign and agreed to fund abiraterone. We’ve already seen the lifesaving effects of this drug in Scotland and Wales – and now patients across England will benefit too, ending the postcode lottery in access to one of the most effective treatments for non-metastatic high-risk prostate cancer. 

"I know that many patients in England, and their families, will be feeling deeply relieved and hopeful today."

John Stewart, National Director of Specialised Commissioning at NHS England, said: “I want to put on record my thanks to Prostate Cancer UK for their collaboration and partnership, supporting the health service to start offering this drug which could make a real difference to the lives of men with this type of prostate cancer.” 

We're working to ensure men get the best treatments, no matter where they live. 

If you can, please donate to help men spend more time with their families.