Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the decision to reject the use of the drug Abiraterone to tackle prostate cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that guides the National Health Service on funding new medicines, based on clinical and cost-effectiveness.. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, usually within 3 months of final guidance.

NICE has recommended abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer before chemotherapy is indicated and for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen. NHS England funds abiraterone in line with NICE’s recommendations, ensuring access for eligible patients.

Abiraterone is not licensed for the treatment of non-metastatic prostate cancer and has therefore not been appraised by NICE for such use. NHS England is currently considering a clinical policy proposal for abiraterone as a treatment option for potential use in specific cases. The proposal is due to be discussed later this month, with potential stakeholder testing by January 2024, if supported.