Podcast

Welcome back to the D.I.S.C.O., FDA’s Drug Information Soundcast in Clinical Oncology, Burst Edition, brought to you by FDA’s Division of Drug Information in partnership with FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence. Today we’ll provide a quick update on a recent FDA cancer drug approval.

On November 14, 2022, the FDA granted accelerated approval to mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (brand name Elahere) for adult patients with folate receptor alpha positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have received one to three prior systemic treatment regimens. Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx is a folate receptor alpha directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate. Patients are selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved test.

The FDA also approved the VENTANA FOLR1 RxDx Assay as a companion diagnostic device to select patients for the above indication.

Efficacy was evaluated in Study 0417, a single-arm trial of 106 patients with folate receptor alpha positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. Patients were permitted to receive up to three prior lines of systemic therapy. All patients were required to have received bevacizumab. The trial enrolled patients whose tumors were positive for folate receptor alpha expression as determined by the above assay. Patients were excluded if they had corneal disorders, ocular conditions requiring ongoing treatment, Grade greater than 1 peripheral neuropathy, or noninfectious interstitial lung disease.

Patients received mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx 6 mg/kg, based on adjusted ideal body weight, as an intravenous infusion every three weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Tumor response assessments occurred every six weeks for the first 36 weeks and every 12 weeks thereafter.

The main efficacy outcome measures were investigator-assessed overall response rate and duration of response evaluated according to RECIST version 1.1. In the efficacy evaluable population of patients who had platinum resistant, measurable disease, and received at least one dose, the confirmed overall response rate was 31.7% and median duration of response was 6.9 months.

The most common adverse reactions, including laboratory abnormalities, occurring in more than 20% of patients, were vision impairment, fatigue, increased aspartate aminotransferase, nausea, increased alanine aminotransferase, keratopathy, abdominal pain, decreased lymphocytes, peripheral neuropathy, diarrhea, decreased albumin, constipation, increased alkaline phosphatase, dry eye, decreased magnesium, decreased leukocytes, decreased neutrophils, and decreased hemoglobin. Product labeling includes a boxed warning for ocular toxicity.

Full prescribing information for these approvals can be found on the web at Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs.

Health care professionals should report serious adverse events to FDA’s MedWatch Reporting Program at MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Follow the Division of Drug Information on Twitter @FDA_Drug_Info and the Oncology Center of Excellence @FDAOncology. Send your feedback to FDAOncology@fda.hhs.gov. Thanks for tuning into the D.I.S.C.O. Burst Edition.