News Details
NCCN Receives $2-Million Funding Commitment from ImmunoGen, Inc. to Study Mirvetuximab Soravtansine for Folate Receptor Alpha-Positive Cancers
The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) has received a $2-million grant from ImmunoGen, Inc. to facilitate preclinical and clinical research with mirvetuximab soravtansine for folate receptor alpha-positive cancers at NCCN Member Institutions and their affiliate community hospitals.
FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has been awarded a $2-million grant from ImmunoGen, Inc. to support the advancement of scientific knowledge related to mirvetuximab soravtansine (IMGN853), a potential new treatment for ovarian and other folate receptor alpha (FRα)-positive cancers.
“NCCN ORP values our collaboration with ImmunoGen on this significant research initiative,” said Diane E. Paul, MS, RN, Vice President, NCCN ORP. “This grant and the resulting research will provide investigators from NCCN Member Institutions the opportunity to advance medical research that may translate into improvements in survival and quality of life for patients with cancer.”
According to ImmunoGen, mirvetuximab soravtansine (IMGN853) is a potential new treatment for ovarian, endometrial, breast, and other cancers that highly express FRα. An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), it comprises an ImmunoGen FRα-targeting antibody attached to the company's potent tubulin-acting agent, DM4. The antibody serves to target the compound specifically to cancer cells expressing FRα, and the DM4 serves to kill these cells.
The first phase of the program will involve the establishment of an NCCN Mirvetuximab Soravtansine Request for Proposals Team, comprising relevant experts from NCCN Member Institutions, to review the existing data and define the study areas appropriate to enhance insight into the potential role of mirvetuximab soravtansine in the treatment of FRα-positive cancers.
The NCCN ORP draws on the expertise of investigators at NCCN Member Institutions and the NCCN Affiliate Research Consortium (ARC) to facilitate all phases of clinical research. This research is made possible by collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer. The NCCN ORP will utilize the grant from ImmunoGen, Inc. to support investigator-initiated preclinical, clinical, and correlative studies of mirvetuximab soravtansine at NCCN Member Institutions and their affiliate community hospitals. To date, this research model has received more than $54 million in research grants and supported 125 studies that have produced a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
ImmunoGen, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the development of targeted anticancer therapeutics. The company’s ADC technology uses tumor-targeting antibodies to deliver an ImmunoGen cell-killing agent specifically to cancer cells. The company utilizes its ADC technology with its antibodies to create ImmunoGen product candidates and also out-licenses limited rights to use its technology to other companies. Roche's Kadcyla® is the first marketed product with ImmunoGen's ADC technology. More information about the company can be found at www.immunogen.com.
To learn more about the NCCN ORP, ARC, and ongoing clinical trials, visit NCCN.org.
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