Rucaparib: A Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor for BRCA-Mutated Relapsed Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To review the pharmacology, safety, efficacy, and the role of rucaparib in the treatment of relapsed, advanced ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 2 phase I/II trials and 1 phase II trial have evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral rucaparib in ovarian cancer. In patients with deleterious BRCA1/2 mutation, an overall response rate of 80% was achieved in the phase II trial Assessment of Rucaparib in Ovarian CancEr Trial 2 (ARIEL2). In the same trial, progression-free survival was higher in patients with BRCA1/2 mutation and BRCA wild types with high loss of heterozygosity (LOH) than BRCA wild types with low LOH. Rucaparib was found to be relatively well tolerated in clinical trials, with the most common adverse events being anemia, fatigue, and nausea.

CONCLUSIONS

Rucaparib appears to be a safe and effective new option in the treatment of relapsed, advanced BRCA1/2 mutant ovarian cancer. The role of rucaparib in this setting will likely expand and be further elucidated as results from several ongoing studies become available.