NICE has produced draft guidance that has recommended that Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) is not used by the NHS in England. It is important to note that this draft guidance and is not NICE's final decision.
The treatment is being considered for folate receptor- alpha (FR-alpha)-positive, platinum-resistant, high-grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer in adults after one to three lines of chemotherapy.
If you are already taking the treatment you can continue to do so until you and your clinical team decide it is appropriate to stop.
NICE recommendations cover England and are usually followed in Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a separate process.
What is the treatment?
Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) is a type of targeted therapy: a folate receptor alpha (FRα) directed antibody combined with a microtubule inhibitor. It seeks out folate receptor α, a type of protein found on the surface of cancer cells.
Once it locks onto these cells it uses a microtubule inhibitor to cause damage to the cancer cell's internal structure. After that, the cancer cell can no longer grow and dies.
Clinical trials have found that people who received mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) had an improvement in progression free and overall survival, but NICE has initially concluded that the treatment is not cost effective.
What next?
This is draft guidance. Target Ovarian Cancer took your views to the first Committee meeting and we can now submit further comments to NICE before final guidance is issued.
If you have taken mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) and/or have platinum resistant ovarian cancer we really want to hear from you.
Please contact us at [email protected]. We would particularly like to hear about:
- Your experiences of taking mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere)
- What a new treatment for platinum resistant ovarian cancer would mean to you
If you would like support or to talk about your treatment options, you can contact our support line on 0808 802 6000.
