Herceptin, an expensive drug which improves the chances of women battling an aggressive type of breast cancer, will be available for free from the beginning of next year, The Sunday Times has learnt.

The tender for the purchase of this treatment will be issued in the Government Gazette on Friday, Health Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar confirmed when contacted by the newspaper.

The tender will remain open for six weeks, followed by another six-week period for the adjudication process. Dr Cassar said that since there were, as yet, no generics of this drug, the purchasing process should not be delayed unnecessarily.

This move, which was yesterday commended by organisations that have long lobbied for free Herceptin, will be welcomed by women who have had to take out loans or even sell their home to lay their hands on this expensive, potentially life-saving drug, which can cost a patient over €32,000 a year, adds The Sunday Times.

These financial projections were based on the wholesale prices of the drug in the UK, where it was only made available on the NHS some 18 months ago, after a woman who was denied free Herceptin took her case to the High Court.

The government, according to the Sunday Times, will be pumping €1.3 million a year in providing Herceptin free for the some 40 patients who need this treatment.

Dr Cassar told the newspaper that each patient would require about 55 doses a year, depending on the person’s weight, which would mean buying 2,200 doses a year.

Herceptin, which reduces the risk of death, only works on about 25 per cent of breast cancer patients who have tumours classed as HER2 positive, which is an aggressive form.

As with any drug, there are side effects, and patients with some form of heart disease should not take Herceptin, because there have been indications in the research that it can worsen such conditions, the report says.

Dr Cassar explained to the newspaper that it will be up to the oncologists to decide if the drug is right for their patient, following tests to establish the form and stage of the cancer.

The Herceptin announcement was commended by the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, which has been lobbying vociferously for this free medication since it was set up 18 months ago.

“When you have breast cancer you look at any option that will prolong your life. You will cling on to anything that gives you hope, even a toothpick if you’re drowning,” foundation co-founder Esther Sant told the Sunday Times.

“Imagine how devastating it is to know there’s a drug out there that can save your life and you cannot afford it,” she added. This “excellent move” was also welcomed by the Breast Care Support Group, adds the report.