Lynparza first PARP inhibitor to demonstrate overall survival benefit in early breast cancer

Further positive results from the OlympiA Phase III trial showed that AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) and Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Lynparza (olaparib) demonstrated a statistically-significant and clinically meaningful-improvement in overall survival (OS) versus placebo in the adjuvant treatment of patients with germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) high-risk human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early breast cancer who had completed local treatment and standard neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.

These results were presented at a European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Plenary.

In the key secondary endpoint of OS, Lynparza reduced the risk of death by 32% versus placebo (based on a HR of 0.68; 98.5% CI 0.47-0.97; p=0.009). Lynparza also improved the three-year survival rate to 92.8% versus 89.1% for those on placebo. At four years, the survival benefit was maintained with 89.8% of patients treated with Lynparza alive versus 86.4% of those on placebo. The safety and tolerability profile of the drug in this trial was in line with that observed in prior clinical trials.