For the first time in the healthcare and medical devices industry, a new drug has been introduced specially for BRAC-mutated breast cancer patients. According to reports, the U.S. FDA has approved AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib tablets) for patients with inherited BRCA gene mutations, making it the first drug in its class that is used to treat breast cancer.
Reports state that the drug Lynparza is not technically new in the breast cancer therapeutics market and has been in use since 2014, majorly for treating ovarian cancer. For the record, Lynparza belongs to a drug class called PARP inhibitors, that usually block the enzyme involved in repairing damaged DNA, generating a potential slowdown or termination in tumor growth. In several experiments, this drug has depicted positive results on women with advanced breast cancer who carried the specific inherited flawed gene. According to statistics, approximately 20% to 25% of patients are diagnosed with hereditary breast cancers & over 10% of patients that are diagnosed with any type of breast cancer have a BRCA gene mutation.
As per the FDA reports, this latest approval from the U.S. regulators was based on study trial of 302 women who were diagnosed with BRCA gene mutation and metastatic breast cancer. On observation, the drug showed a considerable delay in the spread of the cancer for over 7 months in comparison to the 4-month duration that was observed in women undergoing standalone chemotherapy treatment.
If sources are to be believed, currently metastatic breast cancer has no documented cure, however, this approval has undoubtedly benefited breast cancer therapeutics industry players to offer a targeted option to patients that may help them delay disease progression.
Industry experts further cite that the approval of such new improved options for patients with BRCA-caused cancer, will have a major impact on the growth trends of breast cancer therapeutics market and would encourage further investments in drug discovery.