NICE Rejects AstraZeneca’s Enhertu for Breast Cancer Treatment Due to Pricing Concerns

1. NICE Rejection: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has rejected AstraZeneca's Enhertu for breast cancer treatment in England due to pricing concerns, affecting around 1,000 patients.
2. Methodology Criticism: AstraZeneca's CEO, Sir Pascal Soriot, has criticized NICE's methodology, stating that it misclassifies metastatic breast cancer as a "medium severity" disease, which affects the willingness to pay for innovative medicines.
3. Competitive Pricing: Soriot claims that the offered price is competitive, as Enhertu has been reimbursed in 17 other European countries, including Scotland and Romania.
4. Rapid Review Process: NICE is willing to reconsider the decision if AstraZeneca drops the price to a level that makes Enhertu good value for money for the taxpayer, potentially within weeks.
5. Impact on Research Investment: The decision may influence AstraZeneca's investment in research and development in the UK, as the company looks for countries where its medicines can be brought to patients effectively.