Pipeline Drug Offers Promise in Treatment of Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

According to research and consulting firm GlobalData, mirvetuximab soravtansine, a drug currently in the trial phase by ImmunoGen, has the potential to solve an unmet medical need for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Once a patient becomes resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, the efficacy and duration of response with current treatment options are limited. Earlier in 2017, ImmunoGen announced that the first patient was dosed in its Phase III study that investigates mirvetuximab soravtansine as a single agent treatment in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, thereby positioning its novel antibody-drug conjugate well within the late-stage pipeline.

"Mirvetuximab soravtansine is an anti-body drug conjugate that selectively targets cells expressing folate receptor alpha (FRA) and delivers its cytotoxic payload, DM4, to kill cells. Unlike previous FRA antibodies, ImmunoGen’s asset doesn’t solely rely on a patient’s immune system to kill cancer cells," Marc C. Hansel, Ph.D., Senior Healthcare Analyst for GlobalData said. "This small detail is important, especially in heavily-treated patients whose immune systems can be compromised due to previous drug treatments and their overall health status. Furthermore, the FRA pathway is not important for ovarian cancer cell survival, so even if it is blocked, the cancer still grows."

ImmunoGen’s long-term growth prospects in the ovarian cancer space are bolstered by early stage investigations looking to improve single agent mirvetuximab soravtansine’s activity by combining it with Roche/Genentech’s approved ovarian cancer angiogenesis inhibitor, Avastin (bevacizumab); Merck’s immune checkpoint inhibitor, Keytruda (pembrolizumab); the first-line standard of care chemotherapy carboplatin; and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.

These combinations are being investigated in the ongoing Phase Ib/II FORWARD II trial.