North Warwickshire and Bedworth MP, Craig Tracey, has joined forces with ‘Loose Women’ star Nadia Sawalha to support a campaign for access to a new cancer drug. Nadia’s close friend, Hannah Gardner, 37, who has incurable breast cancer, believes the drug Trastuzumab deruxtecan, sold under the brand name Enhertu, could give her another six months with her three-year-old daughter, Lilah Rae.

However, the drug, deemed too expensive by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has been rejected for use in treating HER2-low secondary breast cancer in England. Hannah has been supported by Craig Tracey MP, who is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer. He said: “This issue has been on my radar for some time and I was very disappointed to hear the decision by NICE. We won’t stop fighting for this. Hannah’s story is a very emotive reminder of why the approval of Enhertu in England needs to be done without further delay.”

Hannah was given her primary breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, aged 26, after discovering a large lump in her left breast. In June 2022, she was informed that she had stage 4 incurable breast cancer, specifically HER2-low breast cancer.

Mr. Tracey raised the issue in Parliament, telling MPs: “She brought the campaign to Parliament because it’s the only realistic treatment left available for her and time is not on her side. Can we have an urgent debate on getting all parties, including the drug companies, NICE, and NHS England, back to the table and urgently approving Enhertu?” House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt MP vowed to discuss the campaign with the Secretary of State for Health.

Following this, Craig convened a meeting in Parliament with NHS England, NICE, and the drug companies, during which they agreed to return to negotiations on the issue, which they have confirmed has now commenced. 

The campaign was also featured on the Lorraine programme. Enhertu is already given to some patients with secondary breast cancer — with a fine line separating those who will miss out. Around 1,000 women a year in England have been denied the drug.