Prostate cancer drug that can halve death risk to be offered to thousands in England

Thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer in England are to be offered a drug that can halve the risk of death.

In guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave the green light to darolutamide, which attacks the disease by starving cancer cells and has fewer side-effects than existing treatments.

At least 6,000 men a year with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer will get access to the novel treatment, also known as Nubeqa and made by Bayer, on the NHS.

Darolutamide, taken as two tablets twice daily, works by blocking hormones fuelling cancer growth. The treatment is delivered alongside androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a hormone therapy that lowers testosterone levels.

Data show the treatment combination is better than using ADT alone and is as effective as other combination treatments, according to Nice.

Helen Knight, the director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: “I’m pleased we can recommend this new combination treatment, which provides another much-needed option for people with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

“We are determined to ensure that effective treatments such as darolutamide, which can help extend the length and quality of people’s lives, are made available fast to the people who need them.”

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Source: The Guardian, 24 October 2025