Scottish Medicines Consortium accepts PROSTAP® SR DCS & PROSTAP® 3 DCS (leuprorelin acetate) to treat early and advanced breast cancer

Scottish Medicines Consortium accepts PROSTAP® SR DCS & PROSTAP® 3 DCS (leuprorelin acetate) to treat early and advanced breast cancer[1][2]

London, UK – 8 February 2021, Takeda is pleased to announce that the Scottish Medicines Consortium  has accepted PROSTAP® SR DCS & PROSTAP® 3 DCS (leuprorelin acetate) for use in patients with early breast cancer and advanced breast cancer.^1,2,*,†

Leuprorelin acetate belongs to a family of drugs called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists which is used as adjuvant treatment in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor for endocrine responsive early stage breast cancer and in advanced breast cancer suitable for hormone manipulation. In patients with breast cancer cells that have oestrogen receptors (ER) – about 70% of cases of breast cancer³ – it is important to lower the levels of oestrogen in the body to stop the cancer cells from growing.

Leuprorelin acetate works by suppressing the release of luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and offers an additional treatment choice as its dosing regimen means that suitable patients with early-stage breast cancer require four clinic visits a year, up to 13 visits a year as with other GnRH agonists licenced for breast cancer.

Dr Roger Henderson, GP in Dumfries and Galloway, said: “As a GP I find that being able to use PROSTAP® 3 DCS in women with early breast cancer helps to reduce both the number of times a woman with early breast cancer needs to visit the hospital and the stress associated with these, while maintaining efficacy of treatment.”

GnRH agonists are an important part of treatment for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. In patients with early breast cancer, the combination of (GnRH) agonists with the peripheral oestrogen antagonist, tamoxifen results in a significant benefit in recurrence-free survival and overall survival, while the regime in those with advanced breast cancer has been shown to prolong progression-free survival.⁴

[1] as treatment in pre- and perimenopausal women with advanced breast cancer suitable for hormonal manipulation.

[2] as adjuvant treatment in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, of endocrine responsive early-stage breast cancer in pre- and perimenopausal women at higher risk of disease recurrence (young age, high grade tumour, lymph node involvement). In women who have received chemotherapy, premenopausal status must be confirmed after completion of chemotherapy.