It offers fresh hope to women with limited treatment options by targeting cancers that no longer respond to chemotherapy.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine, known by its brand name Elahere and also used to treat certain ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers, is the first ovarian cancer treatment to be approved for NHS use in 20 years.
Victoria Clare, chief executive of ovarian cancer charity Ovacome, said to PA: “Today marks a landmark moment.
“Being told that platinum-based chemotherapy is no longer working can bring anxiety and uncertainty, particularly when the disease is at an advanced stage, where time and options are limited.
“This recommendation is the first in over 20 years to offer the ovarian cancer community an additional choice at a critical stage, with the potential to make a real difference to patients and their families.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) issued final draft guidance recommending the drug for women with folate receptor-alpha-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial cancers that have stopped responding to chemotherapy.
The treatment is a form of targeted therapy that attaches to cancer cells and destroys them.
NHS England estimates 400 patients in England could benefit each year.
Professor Ruth Plummer, NHS England’s national clinical lead for cancer drugs, said: “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.”
Women with hard-to-treat ovarian cancer could benefit from a life-extending drug now available on the NHS.
The “breakthrough” therapy will be offered to those whose disease has stopped responding to standard (platinum-based) chemotherapy.
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Mirvetuximab soravtansine is delivered by intravenous infusion once every three weeks.
Clinical trials have shown that it can extend survival by an average of four months compared to chemotherapy alone.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: “We heard clearly from patients and clinicians about the very limited options available at this stage of the disease, and the substantial burden that chemotherapy places on women’s lives.
“We are pleased that, following a robust process and a new commercial arrangement with AbbVie, we are now able to recommend this treatment for NHS use.”
For some patients, the benefits go beyond survival.
Patricia Hill, 64, a retired NHS physiotherapist from north London, began treatment in January.
She said: “Previously, I’ve had three different lines of chemotherapy, and this is the first time that I’ve actually been able to get on with my life in terms of the impact of side effects.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men.
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“The feelings of isolation and loneliness that you have undergoing conventional chemotherapy are totally or more or less totally eradicated when using mirvetuximab.
“It actually adds life to years, rather than spending your life in bed recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy.”
A significant proportion of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at a late stage, which limits treatment options and reduces survival rates.
When disease becomes resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, options have been described as “limited.”
Rachel Downing, head of policy and external affairs at Target Ovarian Cancer said: “This is a hugely important moment for women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and their families, who have faced limited effective treatment options for far too long.
“Today’s announcement offers real hope of improved quality of life.”
It has been described by clinicians as a “biological missile” or “Trojan horse” because of the way it targets and destroys cancer cells from within.
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