PARP Study

How would one become involved in a clinical trial for PARP?  My wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer three weeks ago and just completed major surgery at Johns Hopkins.  She has not yet undergone chemo and we are wondering if she would be eligible for the clinical trial?

Ken

[burrowes]

hi ken
are you in the uk. if so does your wife have a genetic disorder it would be the BRACA 1 or 2 if she does then she would have a good chance of getting on the phase2 trials of a pharp inhibitor drug called OLAPARIB thIs is a wonder drug as far as i am concerned i have been on it for two years under the phase ! trials
the trials are coming out of the royal marsden in surrey< under dr de bono, I SUGGEST YOU SPEAK TO YOUR DR TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET REFERED .
bEST WISHES. JULIE

[Teresa222]

You must tell us more please! Tell all about your Stage of cancer and where it had spread. When did you go on the new drug for BRCA positive patients? Tell us all you know please. How do you know that it is working on you?
Thanks,
Teresa

[Trust_in_God]

I am also looking for PARP inhibitor trial to join in US.
Stage IV, 2 yrs, 2 surgeries, 3 chemos...allergic to carboplatin.

I have seen info saying these drugs are effective against ovca, BRCA defect or not.
Of course, more testing is needed.

Found some info on BiPar Sciences website.
Anyone know anything more?
Where to sign on?  whos doing trials?  etc.

THanks, and keep up your spirits.

[Teresa222]

What happened to you? I asked you many questions about your treatment. I hope I did not scare you off. It's just that there are many of us here who are in desperate need of information on that particular drug.
Please reply!
Teresa

[Jatoo]

Phase II trial of the oral PARP inhibitor olaparib (AZD2281) in BRCA-deficient advanced ovarian cancer
M. W. Audeh, R. T. Penson, M. Friedlander, B. Powell, K. M. Bell-McGuinn, C. Scott, J. N. Weitzel, J. Carmichael and A. Tutt
Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center, Samuel Oschin Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA; Massachusetts General Hospital and DF/HCC, Boston, MA; Prince of Wales Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia; Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, CA; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA; AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, United Kingdom; King's College London School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Results: At this interim analysis dated October 31, 2008, of 57 enrolled pts (39 BRCA1 deficient and 18 BRCA2 deficient), 33 were evaluable at 400 mg bd and 24 at 100 mg bd. The confirmed RECIST ORR was 33% at 400 mg bd and 12.5% at 100 mg bd. Clinical benefit rate (ORR and/or confirmed >50% decline in CA125) was 57.6% at 400 mg bd and 16.7% at 100 mg bd. Toxicity was mainly mild in severity, reflecting grade 1/2 nausea (44%); fatigue (35%); and anemia (14%). Grade 3 toxicity occurred infrequently, and comprised primarily nausea (7%) and leukopenia (5%). Conclusions: Oral olaparib is well tolerated and highly active in advanced, chemotherapy-refractory BRCA-deficient ovarian cancer, with greater activity seen at the higher dose. Toxicity in BRCA1/2 carriers was similar to that seen in non-carriers. This study provides positive proof of the concept of the activity and tolerability of genetically defined targeted therapy with olaparib in BRCA-deficient ovarian cancers.

This drug has recently been touted as "The Holy Grail" for cancer treatment in patients suffering from cancer if they possess the BRCA mutation.[7] Olaparib is a new type of cancer treatment which has produced highly promising results in preliminary drug trials. It was given to 19 patients with inherited forms of advanced breast, ovarian and prostate cancers caused by mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In 12 of the patients, none of whom had responded to other therapies, tumours shrank or stabilised. The study, led by the Institute of Cancer Research, features in the July 2009 New England Journal of Medicine.[8] One of the first patients to be given the treatment is still in remission after two years.

I hope this helps.