Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, Highlights How Mirvetuximab Soravtansine FDA Approval in FR-α+ Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Could Impact Treatment
Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, indicated that acknowledgement of external targets such as FR-α could lead to success with antibody-drug conjugates in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Brock-Wilson Family Chair, and institute physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, spoke with CancerNetwork® regarding implications from the recent approval of mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (Elahere) for patients with folate receptor-α (FR-α)–positive platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have been treated with 1 to 3 lines of prior therapy.1,2
In particular, she highlighted the potential for the agent to move into other settings and how external targets such as FR-α could yield the most success for antibody-drug conjugates in this patient population.
Transcript:
This is a significant approval and is a new drug in our armamentarium to treat ovarian cancer. It’s starting with platinum-resistant, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, and clearly, this drug has the possibility of moving into the platinum-sensitive setting and for recurrence in the up-front setting as well. Right now, the accelerated approval is for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. We haven’t had any new agents approved by the FDA for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer since 2014. I cannot underscore the significance for our patients having a new drug to help us and them fight their cancer. [For] high-grade serous ovarian cancer, it’s hard to find targets within, and certainly, for underlying DNA repair problems, PARP inhibitors have been 1 avenue but even that’s changing now. Clearly, recognition of external targets like FR-α is another way of taking an antibody-drug conjugate and making it a successful drug in platinum-resistant disease. It’s very exciting.
References
- Coleman RL, Lorusso D, Oaknin A, et al. Clinical benefit of mirvetuximab soravtansine in ovarian cancer patients with high folate receptor alpha expression: results from the SORAYA study. Presented at: 2022 Annual Global Meeting of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society; New York, NY; September 29-October 1, 2022. Abstract O028.
- ImmunoGen announces FDA accelerated approval of ELAHERE™ (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx) for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. News release. ImmunoGen. November 14, 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://bwnews.pr/3AayMyH
