Ovarian cancer is known as the "King of Gynecologic Cancers". Around 70% of patients in China are diagnosed at advanced stages. Most patients who receive surgery plus platinum-based chemotherapy will eventually develop platinum resistance, meaning chemotherapy loses efficacy and tumors keep progressing. For a long time, such patients had very limited treatment options, leaving their survival predicament unresolved.Now, a historic breakthrough has broken this therapeutic deadlock:

Mirvetuximab Soravtansine (brand name: ELAHERE®), the world’s first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting folate receptor alpha (FRα), has officially been available at Guangzhou Royal Lee Cancer Hospital, and prescriptions can be issued for eligible patients.

What is FRα-Targeted ADC?

A "Smart Biological Missile" That Precisely Eradicates Cancer Cells

FRα (folate receptor alpha) is a protein barely expressed in normal human organs and tissues, yet over 80% of advanced ovarian cancer cells overexpress FRα on their surface, acting as a unique "recognition tag" for tumor cells.

Mirvetuximab Soravtansine is developed based on this exclusive target, which can be vividly understood as a precisely guided smart biological missile:

・The antibody at the front serves as the "navigator": it accurately identifies and tightly binds to FRα on cancer cells, avoiding random damage to normal cells;

・Once the cleavable linker enters tumor cells, it releases DM4, a potent anti-microtubule cytotoxic payload as the core "warhead";

・DM4 directly blocks cancer cell division, inhibiting and eliminating tumors at the source.

Unlike traditional chemotherapy that kills cells indiscriminately throughout the body, this ADC achieves targeted tumor elimination and significantly reduces common chemotherapy side effects such as hair loss, severe nausea and myelosuppression.

Milestones of Official Regulatory Approval

・It obtained accelerated approval and priority review from the US FDA, and later received full regular approval;

 ・In China, it received conditional approval from NMPA in November 2024 and was converted to full regular approval on November 17, 2025, which fully validates its long-term efficacy and safety backed by complete clinical data.

Clinical Evidence: The First ADC in 30 Years to Deliver Significant Overall Survival Benefit for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

The core basis for its full approval in China is the large international confirmatory Phase III MIRASOL trial, which enrolled 453 patients with FRα-high recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, all of whom had received 1 to 3 lines of prior systemic therapy. Key data are straightforward:

・The risk of tumor progression or death was reduced by 35%, with markedly prolonged disease control duration;

・Overall survival was significantly improved, cutting patients’ all-cause mortality risk by 33%;

・It demonstrated far fewer overall adverse reactions and better tolerability than traditional single-agent chemotherapy.

It is the first ADC drug for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in nearly 30 years to significantly prolong both progression-free survival and overall survival, completely breaking the prior treatment bottleneck that only temporarily suppressed tumors without extending patients’ lifespan.

Real-World Data from Chinese Patients (For Heavily Pre-Treated Multi-Line Resistant Populations)

A domestic real-world study enrolled 34 patients with hard-to-treat platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. All patients had received a median of more than 5 lines of prior therapy and relapsed after bevacizumab treatment, with remarkable clinical outcomes:

・Objective response rate reached 55.9%, higher than the 42.3% recorded in the international Phase III trial;

・Disease control rate hit 85.3%.

In short, tumors shrank visibly in over half of patients who failed multiple prior therapies, and tumors were effectively controlled in more than 80% of patients.

Manageable Safety Profile: Mild to Moderate Adverse Reactions with Mature Intervention Protocols

Mirvetuximab Soravtansine shows favorable overall tolerability. Most adverse reactions are Grade 1–2 mild to moderate, with severe intolerable events rarely seen.

The most notable adverse reactions requiring proactive clinical monitoring are ocular symptoms, including dry eyes, blurred vision and corneal discomfort, most of which are mild.

Mature standardized management protocols are available; most ocular discomfort can be effectively prevented and rapidly relieved without disrupting full-cycle treatment.

Takes Action: Bringing the World’s First-in-Class FRα ADC to Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Patients

As the only globally approved targeted ADC for FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, Mirvetuximab Soravtansine fills the gap in precision treatment for such patients in China. It has also been included in the Guidelines for Clinical Application of Novel Anti-Tumor Drugs (2025 Edition), providing official standards for standardized clinical medication nationwide.

Guangzhou Royal Lee Cancer Hospital has introduced this innovative drug in compliance with international JCI full-process pharmaceutical management standards. If you or your family member is diagnosed with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, please contact our hospital for consultation and eligibility assessment.