Drug trial offers hope in treating prostate cancer

A pioneering drug set to become the first used to treat an inherited cancer could open the door to a new range of personalised tumour treatments, it is claimed. The drug, olaparib, has been recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for women with ovarian cancer caused by inherited BRCA gene mutations. Early trials suggest the drug could also be effective against aggressive, advanced prostate cancer linked to specific genetic defects, even when they are not inherited.

It is too early to say whether they will prove to be beneficial in prostate cancer, but the initial results from our preliminary trials have been encouraging.

Prof de Bono, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Potentially it could also be used to treat other solid tumour cancers driven by similar DNA repair mutations, according to leading cancer expert Professor Johann de Bono. Olaparib is one of a new class of cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors that prevent cancer cells repairing broken DNA, leading to their death. Their big advantage is that they specifically target cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unaffected.

There are too few options for men facing advanced prostate cancer. The potential is exciting and we look forward to further results in this area of research.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Prostate Cancer UK

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