Ovarian cancer treatment news from the SGO Annual Meeting

You may have seen updates in the news about future ovarian cancer treatments announced at The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2026 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer... here we break down Lifyori (relacorliant), Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and Mocertatug rezetecan (Mo-Rez) - as well as what the updates are and what they mean for ovarian cancer patients. 

Lifyorli (relacorliant)

Corcept Therapeutics shared the results of research using the drug Lifyorli (also known as relacorliant) to help treat high-grade serous platinum-resistant ovarian cancer*.

The drug was originally used for a disorder where the body produces too much cortisol, called Cushing’s syndrome. 

The ROSELLA Phase III trial compared using relacorliant alongside chemotherapy, to chemotherapy on its own. 

The women taking relacorilant were 35% less likely to die, and lived for on average of 4.1 months longer than women who were treated with chemotherapy alone. 

It’s thought that relacorliant blocks the effects of cortisol, which usually helps protect cancer cells from chemotherapy. This makes the cancer cells more sensitive to the treatment. 

What are the next steps?

There is further research going on to look into the best ways of using relacorliant in ovarian cancer. In the meantime, Corcept Therapeutics has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for relacorilant to treat patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer but following this there are still several steps before this treatment might be available in the UK. This includes licensing with the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

*Women are classed as platinum-resistant if their cancer progresses or returns within six months of having platinum-based chemotherapy.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

The final analysis of the KEYNOTE-B96 research study results, presented at the conference, offered even more hope for platinum-resistant patients. 

The study looked at the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) which helps the immune system fight cancer.

Results suggest that the drug, when given to platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients alongside standard care (chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (Avastin)) significantly improved survival. These women lived for 17.7 months while those who had standard care survived for an average of 14 months.

What are the next steps?

Pembrolizumab is already available on the NHS for some types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and cervical cancer. It is currently being assessed by NICE for treating platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer with a decision due late 2026.

You can read more about the impact of the research on pembrolizumab here. 

Mocertatug rezetecan (Mo-Rez)

GSK shared the promising early results of a new drug called Mocertatug rezetecan (Mo-Rez).

The BEHOLD-1 study looked at patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and advanced endometrial (womb) cancer.

Mo-Rez is a type of targeted cancer treatment called an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). In this case, the treatment targets a protein called B7-H4 which is often found on the surface of some types of tumours, including ovarian cancers. To learn more about ADCs and how they work, see here. 

The results of the study showed that in 62% of the women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, their tumour shrank or disappeared using this treatment.

What are the next steps?

Five phase III trials are planned globally later this year, involving a greater number of patients to find out more about how effective the treatment is compared to standard treatments, along with side effects and quality of life.