OlympiA Study Demonstrates the Efficacy of Olaparib in the Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

Recently, AstraZeneca and Merck & Co., Inc. announced updated results from the OlympiA Phase III trial of Lynparza (olaparib) in early breast cancer at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). Olaparib is the first and only PARP inhibitor to improve survival in this setting.

Olaparib demonstrated sustained, clinically meaningful improvements in overall survival (OS), invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), and distant disease-free survival (DDFS) at six years for patients with germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer. It also reduced the risk of death by 28% in these patients.

The safety and tolerability profile of olaparib was in line with that observed in prior clinical trials and no new safety signals were identified with longer follow-up.

DocWire News spoke with Aliya Omer, VP, US Franchise Head, Breast Cancer, about the clinical implications of the findings.