The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved catumaxomab (Korjuny) for adults with malignant ascites, a condition where fluid containing cancer cells builds up in the abdomen. This treatment is intended for patients whose standard cancer treatment is no longer feasible.
Malignant ascites often requires patients to undergo procedures to drain the fluid. Catumaxomab offers a new treatment option designed to extend the period between these necessary drainage procedures.
Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, stated that malignant ascites can be a significant burden, especially when other treatment options are limited. He added that this approval provides an additional option to help extend the time patients live without needing another fluid drainage procedure.
Catumaxomab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific cancer cells and activates the immune system to help destroy them. It is administered directly into the abdominal cavity as four infusions, with increasing doses.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, chills, fatigue, and cytokine release syndrome. The MHRA will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of catumaxomab, and patients are encouraged to report suspected side effects through the Yellow Card scheme.