New Treatment for Ovarian Cancer Approved by NHS England
Recently, NHS England has approved a new treatment option for women battling hard-to-treat ovarian cancer. This marks the introduction of the first new drug for resistant ovarian cancer in over two decades, a significant development for patients.
Ovarian cancer is quite prevalent, ranking as the 18th most common cancer worldwide, impacting over 300,000 women annually. Unfortunately, more than three-quarters of diagnosed patients find out they have the disease at an advanced stage, which complicates treatment efforts.
Typically, ovarian cancer treatment involves surgery followed by chemotherapy. However, it’s reported that around 80% of women with advanced ovarian cancer face relapse, and most develop resistance to chemotherapy over time.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) acknowledges that patients with folate receptor-alpha-positive platinum-resistant epithelial cancers have limited choices once their tumors stop responding to standard chemotherapy options.
With the new approval, the drug mirvetuximab soravtansine is now available for patients with epithelial ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancers that have become resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy. Importantly, this treatment is aimed at tumors that express the FRα protein.
NHS England estimates that up to 400 women in England could benefit from this treatment annually, labeling this a major milestone in the field.
Professor Ruth Plummer, who leads cancer drug efforts for NHS England, stated, “This breakthrough is the most significant in more than 20 years for treating these difficult ovarian cancers. We are thrilled to provide hundreds of women with the hope of spending valuable extra time with their loved ones.”
Mirvetuximab soravtansine, branded as Elahere, is administered through an intravenous drip every three weeks. A global clinical trial conducted at eight NHS hospitals demonstrated that this therapy could delay cancer progression and extend survival by an average of four months compared to chemotherapy alone, while also leading to more manageable side effects. Notably, about 37% of patients experienced tumor shrinkage of at least 30%, as opposed to 16% with traditional chemotherapy.
This drug, developed by AbbVie, combines an antibody that targets the FRα protein found on cancer cells with a molecule designed to kill the cell from within.
Experts view this decision as a transformative moment that could greatly enhance the quality of life for affected patients. Rachel Downing, who leads policy and external affairs at Target Ovarian Cancer, noted, “This is a crucial moment for women dealing with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and their families, who have been lacking effective treatment options for too long. Today, we have a reason to feel hopeful about improving quality of life.”
Victoria Clare, chief executive of the charity Ovacome, emphasized, “This is a landmark moment. Being informed that chemotherapy is no longer effective can create a lot of anxiety, especially when the disease has progressed significantly. This recommendation provides the ovarian cancer community with a much-needed additional choice at such a critical time, potentially making a real difference for patients and their families.”
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, remarked, “Feedback from patients and clinicians highlighted the extremely limited treatment options available at this stage, in addition to the heavy toll chemotherapy takes on women’s lives. We are glad, after a thorough process and a new commercial agreement with AbbVie, to recommend this treatment for NHS use.”
