New cancer therapy cuts risk of disease progression or death by 38%

GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday its maintenance therapy for a form of ovarian cancer reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 38% in a late-stage study in cancer patients.

The study tested the therapy, niraparib, in patients with first-line platinum responsive advanced ovarian cancer and was compared to placebo.

Niraparib is also being tested to treat other forms of ovarian and breast cancer, GlaxoSmithKline said.

Dr. Hal Barron, Chief Scientific Officer and President R&D, GSK said: “Ovarian cancer is the eighth most commonly occurring cancer in women worldwide and women with this devastating disease have a five-year survival rate of less than 50%. PRIMA is a landmark study as we believe these data have the potential to fundamentally change how women with ovarian cancer are treated.”

Niraparib is not currently approved in the first-line ovarian cancer maintenance setting. GSK says  it will share these data with the relevant health authorities and is on track to file by the end of the year.