Dr. Monk on the Clinical Implications of the PRIMA Trial in Advanced Ovarian Cancer

Bradley J. Monk, MD, FACS, FACOG, professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Arizona Oncology (US Oncology Network), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital, medical director, Gynecologic Program, US Oncology Research Network, co-director, GOG Partners, discusses the clinical implications of the phase 3 PRIMA trial in newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer.

The PRIMA trial demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival with niraparib (Zejula) as first-line maintenance therapy vs placebo in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer who responded to platinum-based chemotherapy irrespective of homologous recombination deficiency status.

The PRIMA trial met 3 key goals: demonstrate that PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy was beneficial in patients beyond the BRCA­-mutated population, establish an effective treatment option for patients with high-risk disease, and personalize dosing with niraparib, says Monk.

Niraparib is currently the only PARP inhibitor that is given as a once daily, individualized dosing regimen in the frontline maintenance setting for an all-comer population with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer, Monk explains. Moreover, the drug was approved in just over 3 years after the first patient was dosed on the PRIMA trial, concludes Monk.