Hundreds of women with hard-to-treat ovarian cancer in England are set to benefit from a new treatment, mirvetuximab soravtansine (also known as Elahere), following its approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). This is the first new ovarian cancer drug approved for NHS use in 20 years.
The treatment is for women with folate receptor-alpha-positive platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancers that have stopped responding to chemotherapy. Nice noted that options for these patients were previously limited, making the decision a 'landmark' moment.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine, developed by AbbVie, is a targeted therapy described as a 'biological missile' or 'Trojan horse' that attaches to cancer cells and destroys them. It is administered intravenously every three weeks. Clinical trials showed it can improve survival by around four months on average compared with chemotherapy alone.
NHS England estimates that around 400 patients per year could benefit. Professor Ruth Plummer, NHS England's national clinical lead for cancer drugs, called it 'the most significant breakthrough in NHS treatment for these hard-to-treat ovarian cancers in over two decades'.
Patricia Hill, a 64-year-old retired NHS physiotherapist from north London who is already receiving the drug, said it allowed her to 'get on with my life' with fewer side effects than chemotherapy. She added: 'It actually adds life to years, rather than spending your life in bed recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy.'
Charities Ovacome and Target Ovarian Cancer welcomed the decision, with Ovacome's chief executive Victoria Clare describing it as a 'landmark moment' offering hope to patients and families.
