By: Maya Nguyen, Master’s in PRCC Candidate, Georgetown School for Continuing Studies.

Lynparza is a targeted therapy for patients with advanced ovarian cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, metastatic pancreatic cancer, and early metastatic breast cancer. Lynparza is an oral medication that works as PARP inhibitor. PARP is a protein that repairs DNA damage in cells, including cancer cells. Lynparza works to stop PARP from repairing the damaged cells, helping to kill cancer cells.

The medication is co-owned by Merck and AstraZeneca. The trial was conducted to determine whether or not the drugs can help patients who have stabilized or gone into remission following treatment with Avastin. Avastin is a medication used alongside with chemotherapy as an anti-angiogenic. It is often used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer.

Lynparza has had its success especially with breast cancer. It helps prevent breast cancer from returning by 42% and lowers the risk of death by 32% in early breast cancer. However, Lynparza has not found its success with colorectal cancer. The trial was stopped at phase 3. The drug was tested alone as well as alongside Avastin. The result of the trial showed that given alone or with Avastin, did not extend survival in patients with metastatic disease.

References

1. Becker, Z. (2022, July 19). In another Lynparza Flop, AstraZeneca, Merck pull the plug on a colorectal cancer trial. Fierce Pharma. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/merck-astrazeneca-pull-plug-phase-3-lynparza-trial-colorectal-cancer#:~:text=As%20AstraZeneca%20and%20Merck%20try,was%20found%20unlikely%20to%20suceed

2. Gardner, J. (2022, July 19). Merck terminates Lynparza trial in colorectal cancer. BiopharmaDive. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lynparza-fail-colorectal-cancer-/627585/.

3. Lynparza® (OLAPARIB)- official patient website. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.lynparza.com/