FDA OKs ‘revolutionary’ anticancer drug

FILE PHOTO: Facade of FDA office.

MANILA, Philippines — An oral maintenance drug that targets cancer-causing gene mutations has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a statement on Thursday, AstraZeneca Philippines said the prescription drug olaparib inhibits the growth of cancer cells among patients with advanced ovarian, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

A check with the FDA portal showed that olaparib was approved on Nov. 16 last year. The pill’s approved dosages were 100 milligrams and 150 mg.

Because of the regulatory approval, olaparib became the only medication that treats gene mutations, which cause various forms of cancer to develop.

Maintenance treatment

Dubbed a “revolutionary drug,” olaparib targets BRCA1 and BRCA2, two genes that suppress tumors and fight cancer.

According to AstraZeneca, olaparib’s uses include maintenance treatment following successful chemotherapy for ovarian and pancreatic cancer as well as active treatment to “help shrink or slow down the growth of tumors” in breast and prostate cancer patients.

“The clinical trials on olaparib for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer are very exciting as this drug offers our patients a chance for better progression-free survival and improved overall survival with fewer complications,” Dr. Maria Lilibeth Sia Su, consultant of gynecologic oncology of University of the Philippines College of Medicine-Philippine General Hospital, said in a statement.

Neoplasms, or more known as cancer, was the fourth leading cause of death in the country from January to November last year, with 54,853 Filipinos dying from this disease, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

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