‘Landmark’ ovarian cancer treatment approved for NHS use

• The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved a new treatment, mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere), for NHS use in women with hard-to-treat ovarian cancer.
• This marks the first new ovarian cancer treatment approved for NHS use in two decades, offering a lifeline to patients whose disease is resistant to chemotherapy.
• The targeted therapy, described as a “biological missile”, works by attaching to and destroying cancer cells, specifically for folate receptor-alpha-positive platinum-resistant epithelial cancers.
• Clinical trials indicate the drug can improve survival by approximately four months on average compared to chemotherapy alone, benefiting around 400 patients in England annually.
• Experts and patient advocates have hailed the “landmark” decision, highlighting its potential to significantly improve quality of life and provide additional options at a critical stage of the disease.

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Hundreds of women to benefit from breakthrough ovarian cancer treatment in UK