NHS England announced in June 2026 that mirvetuximab soravtansine would become available for a specific group of patients with advanced ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.
The treatment is intended for people whose cancer is resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy and whose tumours express folate receptor alpha (FRα), the target used by the drug. It is an antibody-drug conjugate: the antibody component binds to FRα-positive cancer cells and delivers a cytotoxic medicine into the cell.
Clinical trial data supported the NICE recommendation, including improvements in progression-free and overall survival compared with chemotherapy in the eligible population. Those results should not be generalised to every person with ovarian cancer, because eligibility depends on tumour biology, previous treatment and clinical circumstances.
Mirvetuximab can also cause adverse effects, including eye problems, fatigue, nausea and blood-count changes, so treatment requires specialist monitoring. Patients should discuss eligibility, expected benefits and risks with their oncology team.
Source: NHS England.
