Lilly Reports Promising Early Results for New Ovarian Cancer Treatment at ASCO 2025
Indianapolis, June 2, 2025 – At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Eli Lilly and Company shared encouraging early clinical data for its investigational drug LY4170156, a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) aimed at treating platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is a particularly difficult form of the disease, especially for patients who have undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Many of these patients have limited treatment options, especially if they’ve already been treated with FRα-targeting therapies like mirvetuximab soravtansine. Lilly’s new drug, LY4170156, may offer hope for this group.
In a Phase 1 trial, the drug demonstrated promising safety and efficacy, showing anti-tumor activity regardless of folate receptor alpha (FRα) expression levels. The FRα protein is often overexpressed in ovarian and some other cancers, making it a useful target for drug development. Lilly’s drug combines a FRα-targeting antibody with exatecan, a potent chemotherapy agent, connected via a proprietary linker designed to extend the drug’s presence in the body.
The study enrolled 95 women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, who had undergone a median of five prior treatment regimens. Patients were treated across four different dose levels (2–6 mg/kg). At the recommended Phase 2 dose of 4 mg/kg, the drug achieved a 55% objective response rate (ORR) — a strong signal in such a heavily pre-treated population. The overall response rate across all dose levels was 45%, with a disease control rate of 74%.
Importantly, patients with lower FRα expression and those previously treated with mirvetuximab soravtansine also responded to the drug — a key finding that could broaden its potential use.
The drug was generally well tolerated. Common side effects included nausea (64%), anemia (40%), fatigue (32%), and diarrhea (28%), but no serious cases of neuropathy or eye toxicity were reported — side effects that can limit the use of some similar treatments.
Dr. Isabelle Ray-Coquard, the trial’s lead investigator, noted the significance of a drug that works across FRα levels, stating it could address a major unmet need. Lilly’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Hyman, added that the company is now focused on advancing LY4170156 into Phase 3 registrational trials.
This early data signals potential progress for patients facing limited options.
Lilly continues to advance innovation in oncology, with the goal of improving outcomes for women battling difficult-to-treat ovarian cancer.
-A news release by The Investors (Edited)
