Key facts
- NICE approved AbbVie's ovarian cancer therapy for NHS use.
- The treatment is considered a breakthrough and a landmark decision.
- Hundreds of women in the UK are expected to benefit.
- The drug slashes the risk of death by a third.
- The drug gives patients precious extra months.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the UK's drug-cost watchdog, has recommended the use of AbbVie's ovarian cancer therapy, making it available for patients on the National Health Service (NHS). Experts have hailed this decision as a 'landmark' and 'milestone' moment, anticipating that it will provide substantial benefits to hundreds of women battling the disease. The treatment is reported to slash the risk of death by a third and grant patients precious extra months of life. Women taking the drug have told the BBC it has given them their lives back. This approval signifies a major step forward in making innovative cancer treatments accessible within the UK.