Ovarian cancer treatment, Elahere approved by NICE
NICE approves Elahere for use in England, Wales and NI
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have announced they have published final draft guidance recommending the drug Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine) for women in England, Wales and NI* with folate receptor-alpha positive platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer after 1 to 3 lines of systemic treatment.
*Appraisal for Scotland will take place in Summer 2026
Marie-Claire Platt, Ovarian Cancer Action’s Director of Research and Policy“Women living with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer have been left behind for too long. That changes in England today, with the first breakthrough for these women in twenty years.
We welcome this news and the precious extra time Elahere can give these women with their loved ones. ”
What is Elahere?
Elahere is the brand name for the drug mirvetuximab soravtansine. This type of drug is called an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Who is it Elahere for?
Elahere is available for women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer who have tried platinum chemotherapy and whose cancer has either come back or progressed within a timeframe that indicates they are no longer responding to the chemotherapy. Their tumour must also be classed as “folate receptor-alpha (FRα) positive”.
Abbvie expect the number of people who will now be able to access this drug each year in England, Wales and NI to be around 1,400. The appraisal process for Elahere in Scotland will take place in Summer of 2026. In the meantime, any patients in Scotland can request Elahere through their healthcare professional, who can contact AbbVie directly.
What does “folate receptor-alpha (FRα) positive” mean?
This means the cancer cells have a high rate of folate-receptor alpha protein on their surface. This is based on testing a sample of the tumour in a lab. You might hear this referred to as biomarker testing.
How do I get tested?
It's very likely that your healthcare team can organise testing using existing samples taken during previous surgery. If this is not available, you will have a biopsy to collect a sample.
What are the benefits of Elahere?
Clinical trial results suggest that Elahere helped extend the time before the cancer spread or grew (known as progression-free survival), helped some people live longer, and that more people’s tumours responded to the drug compared to traditional chemotherapy.
For more information about how this drug works, how it’s given and side effects, see our page on antibody-drug conjugates (ADC).
What does Elahere mean for women with ovarian cancer?
Wendy was diagnosed with stage 3C high-grade ovarian cancer 2023.
After a period of remission, the cancer returned, and chemotherapy stopped working. The benefits of Elahere have been discussed, she has been waiting for a NICE decision before treatment can be considered.
“I want any treatment available; my daughter is trying to get pregnant, and nothing's happening. It would be lovely to see her have a baby. Also, my son lives with me, and he’s having a hard time. I want to be here for him. I don't have a partner, and if something were to happen to me, I worry where he would live. I worry so much about how he will be when I'm not here anymore.
If Elahere were approved, it would mean that it would hopefully buy me more time to be with my family.”
Angela was diagnosed with stage 3B high-grade serous ovarian cancer in 2021. After surgery and platinum chemotherapy, she started taking Niraparib. She was classed as platinum resistant after a recurrence and started taking Elahere in June 2025.
“I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to access this new drug. Its effectiveness has overwhelmed me, it's outstripped my previous treatments and, after only three sessions, brought my CA125 down to within the normal parameters, and the CT results were amazing. I walked out of the consulting room with the biggest smile on my face since the beginning of this horrid cancer journey. I truly hope that many more women will now be able to receive this lifeline and get to enjoy life. I’m positive it's the right way to go and could help and make a huge difference to thousands of women now and in the future.”
What role did Ovarian Cancer Action play?
Ovarian Cancer Action was proud to be one of several organisations representing the patient voice as part of the NICE process. We shared what you told us about your experiences of diagnosis, treatment and life with ovarian cancer, nominated a patient expert to speak directly to the committee and provided further evidence from our supporters following the initial decision not to approve the drug.
This decision comes after NICE issued initial draft guidance in November 2025 which did not approve the drug for use. This was due to uncertainty over the evidence particularly around how quality of life and length of life differs for people having Elahere compared to people having chemotherapy
After this decision we asked our supporters to share their thoughts with us through a survey, which we collated and submitted to NICE for consideration.
You told us that you wanted more treatment options, that extra time with loved ones was invaluable, and that quality of life on chemotherapy can be very difficult. As a result of this new evidence, the committee have decided to approve Elahere for use on the NHS in this group of patients.
Elevating the voice of our community is critical to help decision-makers understand the real impact that new treatments options can have – not only for women and their families today, but for generations to come.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and experiences with us – your voices helped shape the discussions and ultimately the outcome for the committee to make this decision.
Support our work
Ovarian Cancer Action is a community of change-makers with one purpose: to give ovarian cancer the focus it needs to increase 10-year survival rates. But there's much more to do. Please help us to continue to help more women by donating today.
*Access to medicines is decided by different bodies depending on where in the UK you live.
In England, which drugs are available on the NHS is decided by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
In Wales, the medicines guidance produced by NICE is followed, and this is overseen by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health makes decisions, but they often follow NICE.
In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) makes decisions about NHS Scotland and this is not related to NICE decisions. The appraisal process for Elahere will take place through the SMC in Summer of 2026. In the meantime, any patients in Scotland can request Elahere through their healthcare professional, who can contact AbbVie directly.
