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ESMO conference: ImmunoGen ovarian cancer combo shows anti-tumor activity

ImmunoGen Inc. said its ovarian cancer drug IMGN853, combined with carboplatin and Roche Holding AG's Avastin, showed anti-tumor activity in an early-stage study.

The phase 1b/2 study, called Forward II, is evaluating the triplet combination of IMGN853, carboplatin and Avastin in patients with recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer that express medium or high levels of a protein called folate receptor alpha, or FR-alpha.

IMGN853, or mirvetuximab soravtansine works by using a humanized FR-alpha-binding antibody to target antibody-drug conjugates specifically to FR-alpha-expressing cancer cells. It also uses an anti-tumor agent called DM4 to kill the targeted cancer cells, ImmunoGen said in a news release.

Of the 41 patients who received the triplet combination, and who have also received up to two prior lines of therapy, the confirmed overall response rate was 83% while the complete response rate was 17%. ORR is a measure of the reduction of size of tumors, while CR refers to the disappearance of all signs of cancer in response to treatment.

In a subset of 31 patients who have only received one previous line of therapy, the confirmed ORR was 90%, while the CR rate was 19%. The full-dose combination was also well-tolerated by patients, with thrombocytopenia — or low platelet count — being the most common cause of drug-related discontinuations.

The data was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology's 2019 scientific meeting.

In March, Waltham, Mass.-based ImmunoGen said mirvetuximab failed to stop the progression of the disease in previously-treated patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who have medium or high levels of FR-alpha in a phase 3 trial called Forward I.

The European Society for Medical Oncology is holding its 2019 scientific meeting in Barcelona, where more than 3,900 study abstracts have been submitted for review by oncology professionals from around the world.