"they will have a better chance of living longer and healthier lives."
Thousands of men with prostate cancer will be offered a life-extending drug on the NHS within weeks, as England widens access to abiraterone for the first time to patients whose cancer has not spread.
The move means around 2,000 men diagnosed in the past three months with non-metastatic prostate cancer will be eligible for the drug where it is of clinical benefit.
A further 7,000 men diagnosed each year are also expected to qualify.
Abiraterone works by stopping prostate cancer from spreading, starving the disease of hormones it needs to grow, including testosterone. Until now, the drug has only been routinely available on the NHS for advanced prostate cancer.
Clinical trials show clear survival benefits for men treated at an earlier stage.
Research found that 86% of men receiving abiraterone were alive after six years, compared with 77% of those on standard treatment, which includes hormone therapy with or without radiotherapy.
NHS England has approved the wider rollout after securing better value in how treatments are bought and delivered. The decision follows clinical advice issued last year and is part of a broader strategy to reinvest savings into effective new treatments.
The health service has set a target to save more than £1 billion on clinically effective biosimilar medicines during this parliament.
More than eight in 10 drugs prescribed by the NHS are now lower-cost biosimilar or generic versions, freeing up funding for wider access to new therapies.
Abiraterone is now available as a lower-cost generic medicine.
The NHS in England already commissions the drug for advanced prostate cancer, after introducing a policy in December 2024, almost a year before positive NICE guidance was published in November 2025.
Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, 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.
“The life-extending treatment available on the NHS within weeks will mean thousands of men can kick-start their year with the news that they will have a better chance of living longer and healthier lives.
“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.”
NHS England worked closely with campaigners, including Prostate Cancer UK, to secure the expansion of access. The charity has long called for faster adoption of treatments proven to improve survival for men diagnosed earlier.
Over the past five years, the NHS in England has also commissioned several innovative targeted prostate cancer therapies.
These include the branded drugs enzalutamide, darolutamide, relugolix and apalutamide, reflecting a broader shift towards more personalised cancer care.
John Stewart, National Director of Specialised Commissioning at NHS England, said:
“I am delighted that we are today able to confirm that we can move ahead and offer this important treatment to thousands more men, which I hope comes as welcome news for those that could benefit from this drug, as well as their families and friends.
“I want to put on record my thanks to Prostate Cancer UK for their collaboration and partnership, supporting the health service to start offering this drug which could make a real difference to the lives of men with this type of prostate cancer.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the decision would give patients and families valuable extra time together:
“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.
“We’re backing the best clinical evidence, making smart funding decisions, and ensuring patients get the care they need when they need it most.
“We’re serious about improving prostate cancer outcomes – treating it faster and giving loved ones more time together.”
Alongside confirming the commissioning of abiraterone, NHS England also announced new treatments and testing following clinical advice supported by long-term funding.
These include blood plasma treatment for people with the rare condition Clarkson’s Syndrome, and genetic testing for parents with pre-existing conditions undergoing IVF.
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