Women who meet the criteria have undergone the menopause. Both drugs are given as a tablet once-daily alongside an aromatase inhibitor, a type of anti-cancer drug that works by blocking the production of oestrogen.

There are around 45,000 new diagnoses of breast cancer each year in England.

The ICR, along with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, led the major clinical trial into palbociclib.

Trial lead Nicholas Turner, professor of molecular oncology at the ICR and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden, said:

“The development of this brand new class of cancer drug is one of the most important breakthroughs for women with advanced breast cancer in the last two decades.

“In clinical trials, palbociclib and ribociclib have made a huge difference to women’s lives – slowing down tumour growth for nearly a year, and delaying the need for chemotherapy with all its potentially debilitating side-effects. These drugs have allowed women to live a normal life for longer.

“I’m delighted that NICE and the manufacturers have managed to come to an agreement over the price and economic modelling of palbociclib and ribociclib, so that many more women can access this much-needed new type of treatment on the NHS.”

Images: Drew Hays / iStock

Two new “breakthrough” breast cancer drugs to be available through the NHS