Dr. Ledermann on the Additive Effects of Olaparib and Bevacizumab in Ovarian Cancer

Jonathan A. Ledermann, BSc, MD, FRCP, professor of medical oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, and an honorary consultant medical oncologist, UCL Hospitals, discusses the additive effects of olaparib (Lynparza) and bevacizumab (Avastin) in advanced ovarian cancer.

The combination of olaparib and bevacizumab showed a benefit in progression-free survival versus bevacizumab and placebo as frontline maintenance therapy in women with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer following prior therapy with platinum and bevacizumab, according to data from the phase III PAOLA-1 trial. Bevacizumab is a standard frontline therapy in Europe, says Ledermann. According to the data from the trial, it is difficult to determine whether olaparib should be given alone or in combination with bevacizumab since the trial design did not include another arm of olaparib alone.

Whether bevacizumab has an additive effect on olaparib remains unclear, says Ledermann. This begs the question of whether olaparib should be given alone or in combination with bevacizumab. Given the high costs of both drugs, it may be that bevacizumab is best suited for patients without homologous recombination deficiency who are ineligible to receive olaparib, concludes Ledermann.