Piqray is a targeted treatment for thousands of advanced breast cancer patients
Novartis has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Piqray – also known as alpelisib – for use in combination with Faslodex – also known as fulvestrant – for the treatment of postmenopausal women and men.
It involves patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-), locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with a PIK3CA mutation after disease progression following endocrine-based therapy.
Resistance to endocrine therapy is a significant concern in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. PIK3CA mutations are a driver of developing endocrine resistance, which may lead to faster disease progression for patients and, ultimately, a worse prognosis.
Endocrine resistance affects approximately 40% of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients. Consequently, there has been a need for new therapies like Piqray which are able to specifically target the PIK3CA mutation, with the goal of improved efficacy with a manageable toxicity profile that may also maintain quality of life.
Nicolò Battisti, medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, explained: “NICE’s recommendation is an important development in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, an area where there is an urgent need for innovation to improve clinical and patient outcomes. Targeted therapies addressing genomic mutations such as PIK3CA mutations are advancing the treatment options we have available for our patients.”
“Considering alpelisib involves identifying this specific genomic biomarker via a test, determining who is eligible for this new treatment option and potentially giving them a chance to live longer and live well in the context of an advanced breast cancer diagnosis,” he added.
Marie-Andrée Gamache, country president, Novartis Innovative Medicines UK and Ireland, concluded: “We know how devastating an advanced breast cancer diagnosis is for patients and their loved ones, which is why Novartis worked closely with NICE to secure a positive decision for alpelisib.”
Piqray is also under review by the Scottish Medicines Consortium in Scotland and a decision expected later this year.
In the UK, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer, with around 55,000 women diagnosed every year. Approximately 30% of women with earlier stages of breast cancer will develop advanced disease.
