Dad's Cancer Drug Hope Denied by NHS

A grieving family is campaigning for a life-saving cancer drug after it was rejected for NHS use. Huw Jones, a 33-year-old father from North Wales, passed away in February 2026 following a battle with stage four cholangiocarcinoma. He had been on a trial for zanidatamab, a powerful treatment for advanced bile-duct cancer, and reported that his tumors shrunk and pain reduced.

Despite Mr. Jones's positive experience and his plea for a review, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued guidance against the drug's NHS use earlier this year. NICE stated there was not enough evidence to prove it offers good value for money. This decision has sparked a campaign led by his wife, Cadi Rowlands, who is joined by other patients benefiting from the drug.

Gareth Honeybone, 31, from Sheffield, who was diagnosed with the same cancer, is now tumor-free after receiving zanidatamab on a clinical trial. He expressed concern that NICE's ruling could exacerbate existing inequalities in cancer care, where access to trials or private healthcare dictates survival. The AMMF, a bile-duct cancer charity, echoed these sentiments, calling the rejection 'very disappointing' given the drug's potential to nearly triple life expectancy in clinical trials.

NICE acknowledged the decision would be disappointing but maintained its committee thoroughly reviewed the evidence. The watchdog stated that important questions remain regarding the drug's comparative benefit over standard treatments. This situation highlights broader calls for urgent improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of bile-duct cancer, a disease that affects approximately 3,000 people annually in the UK, with outcomes remaining poor.