Drug, which targets cells directly, offers better quality of life for those with hard-to-treat ovarian cancer.
Hundreds of women living with ovarian cancer could benefit from the first new NHS drug for hard-to-treat ovarian cancer in more than 20 years.
The drug, called mirvetuximab soravtansine, will be offered to patients whose bodies have stopped responding to standard chemotherapy and works by targeting cancer cells directly, meaning the side effects may be less severe than traditional treatments.
There are about 7,750 cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed in the UK each year, and it’s estimated that up to 400 women in England each year could benefit.
A global trial involving eight NHS hospitals found the drug delayed cancer progression and prolonged survival, with patients living 16.5 months on average compared to 12.8 months with chemotherapy.
More than a third of patients also saw their tumours shrink by at least 30%, compared to 16% with chemotherapy.
The treatment is given via a drip for up to four hours, once every three weeks. It works by attaching to ovarian cancer cells that have a protein called folate receptor alpha on their surface, before releasing a molecule which destroys the cell from within.
The treatment will be available for patients with epithelial ovarian, peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer that has become resistant to platinum-based, traditional chemotherapy and whose tumours contain the protein the drug targets.
Ruth Plummer, NHS national clinical lead for cancer drugs, said the treatment is part of a growing wave of more targeted cancer therapies which are helping improve patients’ lives.
“This represents the most significant breakthrough in NHS treatment for these hard-to-treat ovarian cancers in over two decades – and we’re delighted it will now offer hundreds of women much-needed hope of precious extra time with their loved ones,” she added.
