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 Lynparza, which is already approved for ovarian and recently
produced good results in breast cancer, is currently in clinical
development against prostate tumors.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London said
on Monday their new test was able to pick out which men with
advanced disease were likely to benefit from the drug, while also
checking that those taking it were responding.
In addition, the test can quickly detect if prostate cancer is
evolving genetically and might be becoming drug-resistant.
They hope this will allow Lynparza to become a standard weapon for
advanced prostate cancer that would be targeted selectively at the
men most likely to benefit.
The development of the new test, details of which were reported in
the medical journal Cancer Discovery, marks a step forward for
so-called liquid biopsies, which involve simple blood sampling as
opposed to an invasive tissue biopsy.
AstraZeneca's drug, also known as olaparib, is the first in a new
class of anti-cancer agents called PARP inhibitors that block
enzymes involved in repairing damaged DNA, thereby helping to kill
cancer cells.
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Lynparza - abandoned at one stage by AstraZeneca but revived by CEO
Pascal Soriot when he took over in 2012 - became the first PARP drug
to reach the market when it won U.S. approval for ovarian cancer at
the end of 2014.
It now faces competition from rival products made by Tesaro and
Clovis Oncology that are also approved for ovarian cancer.
The ICR team believe their test could potentially be adapted to
monitor treatment with PARP inhibitors for other cancers.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Mark Potter)
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