Trials for cancer drug that helps 40% of women

Treatment: A breast cancer drug is being tested in London

Amar Singh13 April 2012

A breast cancer drug which can prolong the life of sufferers is being tested in London - with 40 per cent of women responding positively to treatment.

Lapatinib is being offered at Hammersmith and Fulham hospitals to women who are not being helped by other treatments, including Herceptin.

It can prolong their lives by stopping diseased tissue growing. Trials also show it can reduce the risk of secondary cancers.

Professor Robert Leonard, the medical oncology service chief of Imperial Health Care Trust, said: "It works well with chemotherapy and shows activity after Herceptin has stopped working. We see a positive reaction from around 40 per cent of women treated."

Lapatinib, made by GlaxoSmithKline and sold as Tyverb, works by inhibiting the action of an enzyme that prompts tumours to grow.

Taken as a tablet once daily, it has received its European licence, making it available on private prescription.

But the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is still reviewing whether it should be widely available on the NHS.