Dr. Coleman on Benefit of Rucaparib in Ovarian Cancer

Robert L. Coleman, MD, FACOG, FACS, professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the benefit of rucaparib (Rubraca) in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer.

Since the publication of the phase III ARIEL-3 trial, investigators have learned a lot about the oral PARP inhibitor’s role in extending progression-free survival (PFS) in patients previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. There are many nuances in the studies that have evaluated rucaparib, Coleman notes; but in ARIEL-3, it seemed like rucaparib had a distinct role in patients who harbored germline or somatic BRCA mutations or had loss of heterozygosity. These genetic factors are appear to be associated with DNA damage repair.

In each of these patient subgroups, rucaparib had fairly strong activity. In the general population of these studies, the PARP inhibitor also doubled PFS compared with the control arm, Coleman says. In April 2018, the FDA approved rucaparib as a maintenance therapy for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who are in complete or partial response to a platinum-based chemotherapy.