A new ovarian cancer drug has been approved for use in the NHS in England but its availability in Northern Ireland awaits a local endorsement process, prompting calls for clarity from a patient and an MLA.

Mirvetuximab soravtansine is a targeted therapy for certain hard-to-treat ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube cancers. It delivers chemotherapy directly to cancerous tissue, reducing side effects compared to conventional treatment. In clinical trials, patients receiving the drug had an average survival of 16.5 months compared with 12.8 months on standard chemotherapy. The treatment is administered by infusion every three weeks and does not cause hair loss.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved the drug this month for patients whose cancer has a specific molecular marker and who no longer respond to chemotherapy. NHS England is funding it. It is the first new medicine for these cancers in 20 years.

Christine Campbell, a Dundonald woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, is on her fourth line of chemotherapy using a different drug, Avastin. She said the new approval offers another potential option if her current treatment stops working. She welcomed the drug's reduced side-effect profile and noted that for patients with limited life expectancy any extension of time is significant. She called for its swift rollout in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon has written to the Health Minister asking whether mirvetuximab soravtansine is available in the region and, if not, why. The Mid Ulster representative said the drug extends lives and improves quality of life for patients with terminal ovarian cancer. She argued that women in the north are being failed by the health system and that the north is the only part of these islands without a dedicated women's health strategy. She urged the Minister to set out an action plan and a timetable for delivery.

A Department of Health spokesperson said it has a formal link with NICE and reviews its appraisals for legal and policy applicability in Northern Ireland. Where an appraisal is found to be applicable, it is endorsed for implementation across Health and Social Care organisations. The department stated that in practice treatments recommended by NICE for routine NHS England use become available in Northern Ireland.

Around 7,750 cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.