GWH begins offering life-extending drug for women with ovarian cancer

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is now offering a new targeted treatment for women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

The Trust has started treating patients with mirvetuximab soravtansine, an innovative drug that has been shown to improve life expectancy for women whose ovarian cancer has stopped responding to standard platinum-based chemotherapy.

The service was introduced by Dr Leila Koudsi, Medical Oncology Consultant, with the first patients receiving treatment at Great Western Hospital on Tuesday 28 July.

Mirvetuximab soravtansine offers new hope for women living with ovarian cancer by providing an additional treatment option when conventional chemotherapy is no longer effective.

Often described by scientists as a "biological missile" or "Trojan horse" therapy, the drug combines a targeted antibody with a cancer-killing medicine. It works by attaching to ovarian cancer cells that have a protein called folate receptor alpha (FRα) on their surface. Once attached, it releases a cancer-killing molecule directly into the cancer cell, destroying it from within.

Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which can also damage healthy cells, mirvetuximab soravtansine is designed to target cancer cells more precisely. This means patients may also experience more tolerable side effects compared with standard chemotherapy treatment.

The treatment is administered intravenously (via a drip) over two to four hours and is given once every three weeks.

Dr Koudsi said:

"We are delighted to be able to offer mirvetuximab soravtansine to eligible patients at Great Western Hospital. For women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, treatment options can be limited, so having access to an innovative targeted therapy that can improve outcomes and offer valuable extra time is incredibly important.

"We are particularly proud to be one of the first hospitals in the Thames Valley region to provide this treatment, ensuring local patients can benefit from the latest advances in cancer care closer to home.

"I am also incredibly grateful for the close collaboration with our pathology team and ophthalmology colleagues, whose expertise and support have been instrumental in developing the pathway needed to safely introduce this new treatment for our patients."

The introduction of mirvetuximab soravtansine reflects the Trust's commitment to bringing the latest evidence-based treatments to patients and improving outcomes for people living with cancer across the region.