A dying mother with just weeks to live has been denied a drug that could have extended her life long enough to attend her daughter's prom. Jess Duggan, 44, from Lewes, East Sussex, is speaking out to urge pharmaceutical companies and ministers to make the life-extending drug Enhertu available on the NHS for thousands of patients like her.
Plea for Vital Time
Jess, married to Simon, 46, and mother to two children aged 12 and 15, fears she has only weeks left after her breast cancer spread to her brain and liver. She is desperate to see her daughter enjoy her prom later this month without the shadow of grief. “This is an emergency for the families, please don’t do this to the children,” she pleaded.
Enhertu, a targeted treatment for HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, is available in Scotland and 26 other European countries but is denied to patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland due to cost concerns. Jess is currently on a chemotherapy called Eribulin, which she describes as a “Hail Mary.”
Campaign for Access
Breast Cancer Now has launched the Enhertu Now campaign, calling on Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, NICE, and NHS England to reach a deal. The charity notes that new NHS drug spending limits introduced in April 2026 offer a fresh opportunity for approval. The petition has already garnered over 53,000 signatures.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “We’re here, once again, asking for Enhertu to be made available for those who need it, and we urgently need to see this happen, now. The tragic reality is that a number of the incredible women who campaigned with us back in 2024 for this treatment to be made available on the NHS have since died, denied the chance to benefit from this drug and live longer.”
Jess's Story
Jess was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and underwent two mastectomies, ovary removal, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. She enjoyed six cancer-free years before a lump on her collarbone in 2023 revealed secondary breast cancer in her lymphatic system, bones, and lungs. Her last successful treatment stopped working in October 2025, and subsequent therapies failed.
“If I’d have had Enhertu I could be in quite a different place right now. I would have more time with my children,” she said. Her daughter is about to turn 16 and take GCSEs, while her son turns 13 in September. “I'm literally just hoping I don't end up critically ill in hospital during that period so that she can actually enjoy those milestones.”
NICE Statement
A spokesperson for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said: “Enhertu for Her-2 low metastatic breast cancer remains the only breast cancer treatment NICE has been unable to recommend for patients in the last 8 years. This was because, at the price offered by the company in 2024, the treatment was too expensive. As part of the US-UK trade deal announced in December 2025, NICE is now using a new higher threshold for cost-effectiveness decisions. Discussions have resumed to try to seek agreement on a commercial offer.”
