NHS England makes mirvetuximab soravtansine available for folate receptor-positive ovarian cancer
The antibody-drug conjugate mirvetuximab soravtansine has been added to the NHS England treatment portfolio for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer — the first new approved option in this setting in more than two decades.
NHS England announced on 3 June 2026 that mirvetuximab soravtansine (brand name Elahere), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting folate receptor alpha (FRα), is now available on the NHS for women with FRα-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer whose disease has not responded to standard chemotherapy.
The drug works by delivering a cytotoxic payload — the maytansinoid DM4 — directly to tumour cells that overexpress folate receptor alpha, a protein commonly found on epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Eligibility depends on confirmation of FRα expression, making companion-diagnostic testing a prerequisite for prescribing. NHS England's decision follows NICE technology appraisal guidance and a commercial access arrangement with the manufacturer, ImmunoGen, which was acquired by AbbVie in 2024.
The MIRASOL phase III trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2023, formed the primary evidence base. That trial demonstrated improved progression-free and overall survival compared with investigator's choice chemotherapy in the FRα-high population. NHS England states the drug will benefit hundreds of women annually in England.
The announcement represents a meaningful expansion of the treatment landscape for a disease in which late-line options have historically been limited. Readers interested in the eligibility criteria and companion diagnostic requirements should consult the published NICE guidance and NHS England clinical commissioning policy.
Plain-language version
For patients, families, and general readers. Educational only — not medical advice.
NHS England announced on 3 June 2026 that a medicine called mirvetuximab soravtansine is now available on the NHS for some women with ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a cancer that begins in the ovaries, the organs that produce eggs.
This medicine is what doctors call an antibody-drug conjugate — it is designed to find cancer cells that carry a specific protein on their surface (called folate receptor alpha) and deliver a cancer-killing substance directly to them. It is intended for women whose ovarian cancer has stopped responding to standard chemotherapy treatments.
The drug was approved following a large clinical trial called MIRASOL, which showed it helped patients live longer compared with other available chemotherapy options in this group.
Not every patient with ovarian cancer will be eligible — a laboratory test is needed first to check whether their cancer cells carry the specific protein the medicine targets.
This is an educational summary, not medical advice. If anything here raises questions for you, please speak with your GP or a clinical professional.
Sources
Read the original reporting — these are the public sources this summary draws from.
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Primary source NHS England · 2026-06-03NHS rolls out life-extending drug for hundreds of women with ovarian cancer