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Adding the cancer vaccine UV1 to olaparib-based maintenance therapy didn't significantly improve progression-free survival in patients with BRCA wild-type recurrent ovarian cancer, according to phase 2 DOVACC trial results presented at ESMO 2026. While the primary endpoint wasn't met, subgroup signals in HRD-negative and PARP inhibitor-naïve patients suggest cancer vaccines may still have a role worth exploring in this disease.
A cancer vaccine didn't deliver the boost researchers were hoping for. The phase 2 DOVACC trial tested whether adding UV1—a vaccine targeting a protein called hTERT—to olaparib maintenance therapy (with or without the immunotherapy durvalumab) could improve outcomes for patients with BRCA wild-type recurrent ovarian cancer. Presented at ESMO 2026, the results showed no statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for the vaccine-containing arm versus olaparib alone.
That said, the story isn't entirely closed. Post hoc analyses revealed a 2.5-month difference in restricted mean survival time favoring the UV1 arm, and subgroup data suggested potential benefit in HRD-negative and PARP inhibitor-naïve patients—groups that may be worth targeting in future studies.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Recurrent ovarian cancer remains notoriously hard to treat, and PARP inhibitors have limited utility in BRCA wild-type patients. While UV1 didn't clear the primary bar, the subgroup signals keep the door open for cancer vaccines as a future strategy—particularly in patients who haven't yet received PARP inhibitors.
