AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, announced positive results from the phase III SOLO-2 trial designed to determine the efficacy of Lynparza (olaparib) tablets (300mg twice daily) as a monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of platinum-sensitive relapsed, BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. Results from the trial demonstrate a clinically-meaningful and statistically-significant improvement of progression-free survival (PFS) among patients treated with Lynparza compared to placebo and provide additional evidence to support the potential use of Lynparza in this patient population.
Importantly, the median PFS in the Lynparza arm of SOLO-2 substantially exceeded that observed in the phase II maintenance study in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer (Study 19).
Sean Bohen, executive vice president, Global Medicines Development and Chief Medical Officer at AstraZeneca, said, “We are pleased with the robust improvement in progression-free survival demonstrated by Lynparza in the SOLO-2 trial. We will work with regulatory authorities to make Lynparza tablets available as quickly as possible to patients with ovarian cancer. We remain committed to investigating the full potential of Lynparza, both as monotherapy and in combinations, and to identifying all patients who may benefit from this important medicine.”
Initial findings demonstrate that safety profile with Lynparza tablets was consistent with previous studies. Full results of SOLO-2 will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting.
Today’s positive results follow the Fast Track designation for Lynparza by the US FDA earlier this year, in patients with a BRCA mutation who have platinum-sensitive, relapsed ovarian cancer.
SOLO-2 was a phase III, multicentre trial designed to determine the efficacy of Lynparza tablets as a maintenance monotherapy compared with placebo, in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed or recurrent BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) ovarian cancer. In SOLO-2, patients with either germline or somatic BRCAm status were eligible for enrolment, although due to the lack of widespread availability of tumour BRCA testing, most patients were enrolled on blood-based germline testing. Those few patients who were enrolled based on a tumour test were also found to have a germline BRCA mutation. Patients were randomised to receive either Lynparza tablets (300mg twice daily) or placebo until disease progression.
The trial, conducted in collaboration with the European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial Groups (ENGOT) and Groupe d’Investigateurs National pour l’Etude des Cancers de l’Ovaire et du sein (GINECO), randomised 295 patients with documented germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who had received at least 2 prior lines of platinum-based chemotherapy.
Worldwide, ovarian cancer is the 7th most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 8th most common cause of cancer death in women. The risk of developing ovarian cancer is increased in women with specific inherited genetic abnormalities, including BRCA mutations.
Lynparza (olaparib) is an innovative, first-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that may exploit tumour DNA damage response (DDR) pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. It is approved by regulatory authorities in the EU and US for the treatment of women with BRCAm ovarian cancer. Lynparza is the foundation of AstraZeneca’s industry-leading portfolio of compounds targeting DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms in cancer cells.
ENGOT (European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups) is a research network of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) and was founded in 2007. Currently, ENGOT consists of 19 cooperative groups from 15 European countries.
GINECO (Groupe d’Investigateurs National pour l’Etude des Cancers de l’Ovaire et du sein) is the French Cooperative Group in Oncology labelled by INCA (Institut National du Cancer or French NCI) for developing and conducting gynaecological and advanced breast cancer clinical trials at the national and international level. The network is nationwide with 700 specialized investigators belonging to more than 150 public or private oncology units.