The Phase II clinical trial for talazoparib, a new BRCA-targeting, precision drug, has demonstrated slowed tumour growth in some patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Talazoparib is a type of treatment called a PARP inhibitor, which specifically targets cancer cells with faulty DNA repair genes, and offer a new potential treatment option for men with advanced prostate cancer who have been previously treated with chemotherapy and enzalutamide and/or abiraterone.
Around half of patients with BRCA2 or BRCA1 defects responded to the treatment, and men with BRCA mutations responded particularly well to talazoparib.
The TALAPRO-1 trial, funded by Pfizer, was led by professor Johann de Bono at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and highlights how crucial it is to carry out genomic testing in prostate cancer patients, in order to identify different patient groups based on their genetics and to tailor treatment accordingly.
The trial found that using talazoparib delayed disease progression by an average of 11.2 months in men with prostate cancers with faulty BRCA genes. Overall, for men with any of the 11 faulty DNA repair genes who were given talazoparib, the length of time before their cancer got worse was, on average, 5.6 months.
Study leader Johann de Bono, professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “These results are yet another demonstration that PARP inhibitors work well in some men with prostate cancer – delaying the spread of the disease and extending their lives so they can have more quality time with their families… A follow-up phase III trial, TALAPRO-2, is ongoing.”
