Breast Cancer Now: petitioning for access to new breast cancer drugs

Florian Engel -

Olaparib now - petition

Olaparib is a potentially life-saving primary breast cancer treatment for certain women with primary breast cancer,  that could reduce the risk of cancer returning or progressing to incurable secondary breast cancer. In November 2022, it was provisionally rejected for use on the NHS in England by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Breast Cancer Now used Impact Stack’s powerful petition functionality to gather over 70,000 signatures, urging pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, NICE and NHS England to find a solution to make olaparib available to the women who could benefit from it. The public pressure played a crucial role in reversing the provisional decision.

Time for Trodelvy - open letter

Trodelvy is an effective drug that could give certain women living with incurable triple negative secondary breast cancer the hope of more time. In April 2022, the drug was provisionally rejected for use on the NHS in England. Following Breast Cancer Now campaigning, including a public open letter signed by over 100,000 people,  the decision was reversed in July. Trodelvy is now finally available to the women who could benefit from it.

Says Paul Head, campaigns manager, Breast Cancer Now, “ We had a very short timeframe to  build our actions and then influence the NICE process. Impact Stack’s easy to use petition functionality allowed us to quickly create these digital campaigns which inspired and mobilised significant  support. The public pressure they provided was a critical factor in the success of the campaigns.  Olaparib is a potentially life-saving treatment for certain women with primary breast cancer and Trodelvy can give certain women living with incurable secondary breast cancer the hope of more time. So the impact of these campaigns on patients is huge.
"The campaigns have also allowed us to recruit thousands of new supporters, who are not only getting involved in our campaigns, but supporting the charity’s wider work, for example by fundraising or volunteering.”