Key Summary
- Abiraterone to be offered earlier for prostate cancer.
- 6-year survival rises to 86 per cent vs 77 per cent.
- Around 7,000 men a year are expected to be diagnosed annually and they are eligible for the treatment.
NHS England is planning to roll out anti-cancer drug abiraterone, now available as a low-cost generic medicine, for men who have early-stage prostate cancer.
Abiraterone stops the spread of cancer by starving the disease of the hormones it needs to grow, such as testosterone, and NICE had cleared it in November 2025.
Around 2,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last three months, and the disease has not spread to other organs, will be provided abiraterone tablets in the coming weeks.
Around 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and they will be eligible for this drug.
The NHS in England already commissions abiraterone for advanced prostate cancer, having introduced a policy to commission the treatment in December 2024.
In the past five years, the NHS has also commissioned new innovative targeted prostate cancer therapies, including the branded drugs enzalutamide, darolutamide, relugolix and apalutamide.
“The life-extending treatment available on the NHS within weeks will mean thousands of men can kick-start their year with the news that they will have a better chance of living longer and healthier lives,” said professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said, “When you’re living with prostate cancer, every day with your loved ones matters. I’m delighted the NHS have taken the steps needed to make the drug available, giving thousands of men access to abiraterone.”
Research has shown that for these earlier stage patients, abiraterone improves the survival rate after six years.
The trials show that the proportion of men alive after six years on abiraterone was 86 percent compared with 77 percent on standard treatment (hormone therapy with or without radiotherapy).
The NHS is also planning to roll out blood plasma treatment for Clarkson’s Syndrome.
