July 10th 2024.
Nadia Sawalha, a popular television personality, is using her platform to bring attention to a cause that holds great importance to her. In a bold and powerful statement, Nadia stripped off her clothes outside of Parliament, joined by 30 other women who also bared their breasts. This was their way of trying to get the government's attention, as previous efforts had not been successful.
Their cause is focused on a specific drug called Enhertu, also known as trastuzumab deruxtecan, which is a targeted biological therapy that interferes with the processes in cells that contribute to the growth of cancer. While it is available in 14 other countries, including Scotland, it is not currently accessible in England and Wales.
The group of 31 women came together to represent the lives lost to metastatic breast cancer each day in the UK. Their chests were painted by artist Sophie Tea, adding to the powerful and eye-catching statement. Nadia, who is 59 years old, shared her pride in being a part of this collective effort, stating, "We are here to be heard. If this is what it takes to turn heads back in our direction and put Enhertu back on the agenda, so be it. We have been ignored for too long."
In an interview with The Agency, Nadia described the intense emotions she felt during the moment. She explained, "It was the most strange feeling and beforehand we couldn’t imagine what it would feel like. We thought that we weren’t going to be able to do it and that we’d be moved off. We were sort of planning that we might have to have a bit of a battle. We were a bit thrown off that we could just do it." She also shared that she could feel the women around her shaking with a sense of urgency.
Nadia was the only woman in the group who has not had breast cancer, but she was deeply moved by the stories of the other women who had. She shared, "There’s a person here today who’s lost her husband to cancer and then five months later, she got breast cancer. She has three children. They were totally terrified and thank god, she’s just still in primary breast cancer, but she could be one of these people in the future that needs this drug."
Nadia made it clear that the women in England have the same right as those in Scotland and Wales to have access to this important treatment. When asked why she decided to take part in this powerful demonstration, Nadia explained to Metro, "I’m accidentally involved in a campaign. One of my best friends didn’t get this drug." She also shared that she has been involved in a meeting with AstraZeneca and NHS England, and she believed that they were making progress. However, with the recent election and the passing of time, it seems like the issue has been pushed aside. She stated, "It’s time for us to shout again because we were so close. We felt we were close. We’ve got to get them back around the table."
Patients, campaigners, and charities have been advocating for the approval of Enhertu for months, specifically for women with a subtype of incurable breast cancer called HER2-LOW. However, they claim to have been met with a "deafening silence" in recent weeks. The drug was initially reviewed by NICE in September 2023, and after a provisional no, a petition by Breast Cancer Now gained nearly 300,000 signatures. In May, patients met with decision-makers, but Nadia's best friend, Hannah Gardner, who has breast cancer, says that the group has been ignored since the meeting.
Hannah shared, "We feel ignored. It’s been over two months since patients met with NICE, NHS England, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca at an APPG in parliament and were promised the key players would get back around the table to thrash out a deal. But it hasn’t come. Nothing has changed and the treatment remains out of reach for the 1,000 women a year it’s thought it would benefit."
Helen Addis, a breast cancer survivor and campaigner, added, "Enhertu is rightly available in Scotland and 14 other European countries but how can we have such health inequality within the UK? It’s a postcode lottery like no other. It’s scandalous." When The Agency reached out for a comment, a spokesperson for NICE stated, "We were disappointed not to be able to recommend Enhertu for use in the NHS for advanced HER2-low breast cancer after chemotherapy."
They continued, "As we made clear during our evidence session to the recent Health Select Committee, a price making it a cost-effective use of NHS resources being offered by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca could resolve this issue almost immediately. That is the fastest and only guaranteed way of ensuring women get access to this treatment without further delay." NICE also mentioned that they are committed to finding a solution and ensuring the best care for patients while considering the value for the taxpayer.
In the midst of this important and urgent issue, Nadia and her fellow campaigners are determined to keep pushing for access to this life-prolonging treatment. Their efforts are commendable, and as Nadia stated, "We are here to be heard." Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV1. If you have a story to share, you can contact the The Agency entertainment team through email, phone, or by visiting their Submit Stuff page.
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