A ‘life-extending’ drug to treat prostate cancer will soon be offered to patients for the first time, NHS England has said.
The treatment, known as abiraterone, is set to be accessible within weeks for patients whose cancer has not spread if it is of clinical benefit..
Abiraterone stops prostate cancer spreading by starving the disease of the hormones it needs to grow, such as testosterone.
NHS England said research found the survival rate after six years to improve for patients in earlier stages, with those on abiraterone in trials at 86%, in comparison to 77% for those on standard treatment.
National clinical director for cancer at NHS England, Professor Peter Johnson, said: “For thousands of men with prostate cancer, this treatment option could be life-changing by helping keep their cancer at bay for several years.
He described it as ‘life-extending treatment’.
‘The NHS will continue to work hard to offer people the most effective and evidence-based treatments, with several new prostate cancer drugs rolled over the last five years,’ he added.
National charity Prostate Cancer UK, who contributed to the offering of abiraterone, have welcomed the news after more than three years of campaigning.
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK said: ‘This decision is a momentous, lifesaving victory for the thousands of men whose lives will now be saved.
‘Until now, men in England have found themselves in an impossible situation.
‘It’s terrifying to be told you’ve got a cancer that’s likely to spread, to then find out you can’t access the treatment that science has proven to be your best chance at surviving is completely devastating.
‘We refused to accept this outcome for men, and we didn’t stop until we changed it.’
Health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘When you’re living with prostate cancer, every day with your loved ones matters.
‘I’m delighted the NHS have taken the steps needed to make the drug available, giving thousands of men access to abiraterone – a treatment that significantly improves survival rates and can give patients precious extra years of life.’
In November 2025, the government launched the first ever Men’s Health strategy, which involved improved care for men with prostate cancer, including through the development of home prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for those being monitored for the disease.
Late last year, the National Screening Committee (NSC) said it will not recommend whole-population screening for prostate cancer.
Earlier this month, we reported that the NHS’s new online hospital will prioritise nine common conditions, including prostate enlargement and raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level.
NHS England already commissions abiraterone for advanced prostate cancer, after it introduced a policy to commission the treatment in December 2024, before NICE guidance recommended it in November 2025.
