On December 12, 2016 Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) presented data from its phase 2 pilot INNOVATE clinical trial at its research and development day suggesting that Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in combination with weekly paclitaxel is tolerable and safe in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (Press release, NovoCure, DEC 12, 2016, View Source [SID1234517055]). The data also suggested more than doubling of the progression free survival and an improvement in overall survival among patients who received TTFields therapy with paclitaxel compared to a recent phase 3 trial of patients who received paclitaxel alone¹.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Novocure will submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical conference and will begin planning a phase 3 pivotal trial in recurrent ovarian cancer.

"These results are promising," said Dr. Eilon Kirson, Novocure’s Chief Science Officer and Head of Research and Development. "Recurrent ovarian cancer is a very difficult to treat disease that quickly develops resistance to multiple types of chemotherapies. We are committed to researching TTFields as a potential treatment for ovarian cancer and look forward to beginning a phase 3 pivotal trial."

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimated that in 2016, there were approximately 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and approximately 14,000 deaths in the United States. Ovarian cancer incidence increases with age, and the median age at time of diagnosis is 63 years old. The five-year survival rate is 44 percent, and the majority of patients present at advanced stage with 60 percent having metastatic disease. TTFields therapy is not approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The safety and effectiveness of TTFields therapy for ovarian cancer has not been established.