Dr. O'Malley Discusses the Current Role of PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer

David O'Malley, MD, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the current role for PARP inhibitors for patients with ovarian cancer.

PARP inhibitors have a role in a couple of different patient populations, explains O’Malley. One of those populations is BRCA mutations, either germline or somatic. Olaparib (Lynparza) has indications in patients with a germline mutation who have had 3 or more prior lines of therapy, while rucaparib (Rubraca) is indicated for both somatic and germline tumors with more than 2 lines of prior therapy.

There are now 2 drugs that are approved in the platinum-sensitive maintenance setting. Those are olaparib and niraparib (Zejula). According to O’Malley, rucaparib has been submitted to the FDA but it is not known if it will receive approval.

In this population of patients, many of the trials are concentrated on BRCA mutations as well as homologous recombination deficiency status. Both current drugs are approved in all-comers no matter their somatic or germline status.