UK's MHRA approves 'repurposed' anastrozole to prevent breast cancer

7 November 2023
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Anastrozole, which has been used for many years as a breast cancer treatment, has today been licensed by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a preventive option – which it is hoped could help prevent around 2,000 cases of breast cancer in England.

The drug, which is off-patent, has been shown in trials to reduce the incidence of the disease in post-menopausal women at increased risk of the disease by almost 50%. Anastrozole was originated by UK pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) more than 20 years ago and marketed under the trade name Arimidex for the treatment of breast cancer.

It was first recommended as a preventive option by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2017, however, with the treatment being unlicensed in this use, uptake has remained low.

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