AstraZeneca Imfinzi & Lynparza Drug Combo for Ovarian Cancer Treatment
A recent study conducted by AstraZeneca found that adding their drugs Imfinzi and Lynparza to the treatment plan for advanced ovarian cancer patients without a specific gene mutation called BRCA extended the time without cancer progression by five months.
The study combined an immune checkpoint inhibitor (Imfinzi) with a PARP inhibitor (Lynparza) to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. However, doctors are having difficulty applying these findings in real-world situations because the study design did not clearly identify how much Imfinzi contributed to the positive results. More research is needed to understand the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in frontline ovarian cancer treatment. While this study shows promise, additional data from other trials are expected to provide further insights into the effectiveness of combining PARP inhibitors with immune checkpoint therapies.
Furthermore, the study, known as the DUO-O study, involved over 1,100 patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer without the BRCA gene mutation. After surgery and one cycle of chemotherapy, the patients were divided into three groups:
1. Group receiving chemotherapy and a drug called Avastin, followed by maintenance Avastin.
2. Group receiving chemotherapy, Avastin, and Imfinzi, followed by maintenance
3. Group receiving chemotherapy, Avastin, Imfinzi, and Lynparza, followed by maintenance with all three drugs.
Compared to the group that received Avastin alone, the group that received the combination of Imfinzi, Lynparza, and Avastin had a 37% reduced risk of disease progression. However, the addition of Imfinzi alone did not show a significant difference compared to Avastin alone.
AstraZeneca’s cancer chief, Susan Galbraith, emphasized the positive results in patients with specific genomic abnormalities called HRD+. In this subgroup, those who received the combination of Imfinzi, Lynparza, and Avastin experienced a significant delay in cancer progression, with 37.3 months of progression-free survival compared to 23 months in the Avastin-alone group, representing a 50% reduction in the risk of progression.
However, one important aspect missing from the study is a comparison of Lynparza without Imfinzi. This omission makes it challenging to determine whether the improved progression-free survival is solely due to the combination of Lynparza and Imfinzi or if Lynparza alone plays a significant role. It’s worth noting that Lynparza has shown modest benefits in ovarian cancers without the BRCA gene mutation.
Doctors involved in the study acknowledged the limitation and expressed the need for additional arms in future trials to provide a comprehensive comparison. Other pharmaceutical companies, such as Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, and Merck, are also conducting trials to explore the combination of PARP inhibitors with immune checkpoint therapies, which may shed more light on the effectiveness of these treatments in ovarian cancer.
It’s important to mention that last year, some PARP inhibitors had their indications withdrawn for advanced ovarian cancer patients who had already undergone multiple treatments due to concerns about worsened outcomes based on available data.
In conclusion, while the study results show promise in treating ovarian cancer, there are still uncertainties regarding the contribution of specific drugs and the optimal treatment approach. Further research and data from ongoing trials are expected to provide a clearer understanding of the role of checkpoint combo therapies in ovarian cancer treatment.
AstraZeneca Imfinzi & Lynparza Drug Combo for Ovarian Cancer Treatment
