Melanie Sturtevant, associate director of policy, evidence and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, said:
"We welcome today’s decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to recommend both elacestrant, and capivasertib with fulvestrant, for use on the NHS in Scotland, following their rejection last year. These are the first two targeted treatment options for certain people with HR-positive, HER2-negative incurable metastatic breast cancer with particular gene alterations. They can offer people the vital hope of more time before their disease progresses.
“This is a great step forward in ensuring that hundreds of people in Scotland have the same opportunity as those in the rest of the UK to access these treatments.
“However while this is a positive result, we’re concerned that patients won’t be able to access these drugs immediately, as the genomic tests that establish if someone is suitable to receive them are not routinely available on the NHS in Scotland.
“Too many people have already been denied the chance of more time before their cancer progresses due to the initial rejection of these drugs – simply put, people with metastatic breast cancer can’t afford to wait any longer.
"That's why Breast Cancer Now and other breast cancer charities are calling on the Scottish Government to rapidly implement genomic testing across Scotland, so that no one is left waiting for the treatment they so desperately need.
"We’ll continue pushing for everyone, everywhere to get the very best breast cancer treatments and care, as we strive to realise our bold vision that by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well.”
ENDS
Notes to editor
Elacestrant is an oral selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD). It is the first targeted treatment option available for metastatic breast cancer patients with an ESR1 mutation – a genetic change that often occurs after long-term use of hormone therapy.
Elacestrant was approved for use by NICE on the NHS in England in June 2025, the decision by NICE was adopted in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Capivasertib was first rejected for use on the NHS in Scotland in October 2024 due to cost effectiveness. See Breast Cancer Now statement here.
Capivasertib with fulvestrant has already been recommended for NHS use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Capivasertib plus fulvestrant is the first targeted treatment option for certain people with PIK3CA, AKT1 and PTEN metastatic breast cancer. These mutations affect up to 50% of people with hormone receptor positive advanced breast cancer.