Immunotherapy of ovarian cancer with antibodies: a focus on oregovomab

Recent advances in the molecular and cellular biology of malignancy and tumour immunology have stimulated significant progress in the application of immunotherapies as adjuvant treatments in cancer. Oregovomab (OvaRex, AltaRex) is a murine monoclonal antibody with high affinity to the ovarian cancer associated antigen CA125. Infusion of low-dose antibody results in formation of circulating immune complexes which can trigger a cellular immune response targeting CA125 and the ovarian cancer. Oregovomab has activity following initial chemotherapy and in recurrent disease settings and is in Phase III trials to establish its efficacy to prolong time to relapse in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and favourable outcomes to their front-line treatment. Additional studies of antigen processing and combination chemo-immunotherapy are ongoing. The treatment shows promise as a potential new addition to the standard care of ovarian cancer.