PARP inhibition in the ovarian cancer patient: Current approvals and future directions

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have significantly advanced solid tumor treatment.
• Their application has broadened from BRCA-deficient cancers to other homologous recombination deficient and biomarker-wildtype tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indications for clinically available PARP inhibitors in treatment and maintenance settings.
• To discuss ongoing and recently completed clinical trials that may lead to future approvals.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current FDA-approved PARP inhibitors.
• Analysis of completed and ongoing clinical trials involving PARP inhibitors.

Main Results:

• PARP inhibitors are now indicated for both treatment and maintenance strategies in various solid tumors.
• The scope of PARP inhibitor use has expanded beyond initial indications, including frontline therapy.

Conclusions:

• PARP inhibitors represent a major therapeutic advance in oncology, particularly for ovarian cancer.
• Current research and clinical trials are expanding the role and indications of PARP inhibitors.