PARP inhibitors are a class of precision medicines used to treat cancers with specific mutations. This is a treatment option for advanced prostate cancer patients who are no longer benefiting from hormone therapy. 

A PARP is a protein that is involved in repairing damaged DNA. Research has proved that PARP is a driver of prostate cancer and that PARP inhibitors can suppress prostate cancer growth and progression.

There are two PARP inhibitor treatment options available to patients. 

Rubraca (Rucaparib)- First in its class PARP inhibitor for metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. It has shown positive results in studies for patients with BRCA mutations. As a PARP inhibitor, Rubraca works to block cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA. Rubraca is the first drug of its kind for prostate cancer, and is authorized for patients with highly advanced disease. 

Olaparib (Lynparza)- The FDA recently approved this PARP inhibitor for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Olaparib is targeted to patients who have germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations and have progressed following prior treatment with a new hormonal agent.

Prostate cancer is a disease that is most successfully treated when it is detected early on.  As the research community explores various methods to detecting the disease, PCEC continues to encourage men to play an active role in their health by looking to those trusted sources of prostate cancer testing – the PSA and DRE.

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