Monoclonal antibody Immunotherapy for Malignancies of the Ovary by Subcutaneous Abagovomab

Every year worldwide, about 200,000 women (60,000 in Europe and 20,000 in the US) contract a malignant tumour of the ovaries,(medically: ovarian carcinoma), ovarian cancer therefore is the sixth-most common malignant disorder in women.
Many patients with advance ovarian cancer, within one to two years experience a relapse of the disease, the so-called recurrence, despite the formed treatments surgery and chemotherapy were successful leading to complete removal of the initial tumour.
Up to now, there is no scientifically-based therapy for the prevention of the possible relapse of the ovarian cancer. If a relapse occurs, then therapeutic options are limited and the disease is considered no longer curable in most cases.
Among the therapeutic options still under investigation there is a vaccination, Abagovomab, a monoclonal antibody that can trigger the immune system to produce tumour-specific antibodies.
MIMOSA study is a multinational trial started in December 2006 (conducted worldwide in 151 clinics) including about 900 women with advanced ovarian cancer Its purpose is to verify the efficacy and safety of the vaccination with Abagovomab for the prevention or the delay of disease recurrences and to test to what extent the period of remission and overall survival can be prolonged. The first results will be available at the end of 2010.

Further information on the MIMOSA study: www.mimosa-study.com - www.clinicaltrials.gov
For more information contact us at abagovomab@menarini-ricerche.it