Dr. Burgess on Future Directions With PARP Inhibitors in Prostate Cancer

Earle Burgess, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, discusses future directions with PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer.

Currently, the PARP inhibitors olaparib (Lynparza) and rucaparib (Rubraca) are approved by the FDA for the treatment of certain men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Olaparib is approved for use in men with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair gene–mutated mCRPC who have progressed following prior treatment with enzalutamide (Xtandi) or abiraterone acetate (Zytiga). Rucaparib is approved for use in men with germline or somatic BRCA mutation—associated mCRPC who have been treated with androgen receptor–directed therapy and a taxane-based chemotherapy. 

Other trials of single-agent PARP inhibitors are ongoing, says Burgess. It is anticipated that the results of these studies will reflect those observed in the PROfound and TRITON2 trials, Burgess says.

Additionally, combination regimens with PARP inhibitors plus immunotherapy or non–immune-based therapies are ongoing, Burgess explains. These combination approaches could expand upon the efficacy demonstrated with single-agent PARP inhibitors, as well as broaden the patient populations that are eligible for PARP inhibition therapy, concludes Burgess.