Treating ovarian cancer in advanced stages has been an incredible challenge in the oncology field, in part due to the fact that the disease can be resistant to traditional, platinum-based chemotherapies. However, thanks to the first major advancement in the treatment of this disease in nearly a decade, patients are finding hope in a drug called Elahere (molecular name mirvetuximab soravtansine).
Dr. Anna Berkenblit, Chief Medical Officer at ImmunoGen, Inc., spoke to SurvivorNet about the incredible impact this drug, called an antibody-drug conjugate, has had for patients who did not have very many options before its approval in November.
Read MoreElahere targets the folate receptor alpha (FRα) protein, which is located on the surface of the tumor cell. And that’s a critical point, as it offers effective treatment for a large population of women with advanced ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer cells commonly carry FRα protein on their surface, and up to 80% of new and recurrent ovarian cancers may carry this protein. Generally, FRα levels tend to be high in more aggressive ovarian cancers.
It is approved now for patients with high FRα level expression, and that’s about 35 to 40% of all ovarian cancer patients.
“Elahere is indicated for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who’ve had up to three prior lines of therapy,” Berkenblit explained. “So these are patients who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, had surgery, had initial therapy, and then their cancer came back again, and it came back again within six months of the last dose of platinum, at which point they’re considered platinum-resistant. So available therapies for these patients are typically single-agent chemotherapies.”
Increased Survival Rates
In the study, Elahere showed a 33% improvement in survival, according to Berkenblit, who dubbed the findings as “unprecedented and practice-changing.”
Up until now, there were no targeted options for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.
The first step for patients to take advantage of Elahere’s benefits is to get their FRα protein levels measured in a special test called immunohistochemistry (IHC).
ImmunoGen has partnered with the cancer laboratory testing company NeoGenomics to launch a free-of-cost FRα testing program, called FR-ASSIST, for eligible patients.
Berkenblit explained who should get a FRα test and who would be eligible for the drug Elahere.
“If you have platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, you should know your FRα status. What I mean by that is you should have your tumor tested for FRα,” Berkenblit said.
“This means that the pathologist would send off a sample of your tumor tissue, most likely from your initial surgery, and have it tested for FRα. If the test comes back positive, we also refer to this as FRα high, you may be eligible for Elahere.”
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