TGA approves ‘game changing’ ovarian cancer drug bringing new hope to patients

Federal health authorities have approved a breakthrough drug for ovarian cancer, bringing a game-changing new treatment option to women in advanced stages of the deadly disease.

Suzette Gregory with husband Elvin Aeria and sons Elliott, Evan and Ethan Aeria at their home in Canning Vale in Perth’s south. Picture: Colin Murty

Federal health authorities have approved a breakthrough drug for ovarian cancer, bringing a game-changing treatment option to women in advanced stages of the deadly disease.

The new drug called Zejula – also known as a PARP inhibitor – will mean women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, who have responded to existing treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery, will now be able to access another level of treatment.

There were previously very limited treatment options for ovarian cancer as the existing PARP inhibitor drug worked only on women with the BRCA gene mutation, which occurs in about 25 per cent of women, meaning the vast majority did not benefit from the treatment.

Ovarian cancer has a fatality rate almost double that of breast cancer, with about 45 per cent of women diagnosed dying from the disease within five years.

Royal North Shore Hospital medical oncologist Sally Baron-Hay said that the approval of Zejula by the Therapeutic Goods Administration offered new hope to women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.

“I think this is the first major breakthrough for ovarian cancer and what makes this exciting is that it’s for all women with ovarian cancer, and offers a new hope for these women,” she said.

“It’s a game-changer that this can be offered to all women who respond to their treatment.

“All women newly diagnosed with high grade ovarian cancer will have the option to be offered this new therapy – it is a really exciting development.”

Dr Baron-Hay said ovarian cancer was typically identified very late in its progress, meaning it had a grimmer outlook than many cancers.

“The majority of women are diagnosed with stage three and four of the disease, and about 75 to 85 per cent have a recurrence, so survival remains very poor,” she said.

“We want to improve our frontline treatment to prevent it from recurring; that is what this new class of drugs does – prevent the recurrence.”

Dr Baron-Hay said the drug worked by preventing the tumour cell from recurring by targeting how its DNA repaired itself.

“Using these PARP inhibitors can help but for the majority after chemo and surgery, there is no standard option,” she said.

“The trials show this drug works in all women, not just the ones that have the mutation.

“It affects the way the DNA repairs itself; it prevents that tumour cell from repairing.

“This class of drug works best in people with the mutation or a defect in the way cells protect DNA, but it also works on women who don’t have that mutation and have responded to therapy.”

Dr Baron-Hay said the next step in bringing this drug to as many women as possible would be to get it added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Perth-based mother-of-three Suzette Gregory, 53, said her world came crashing down when she was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer six months ago.

She has no family history of ovarian cancer and her BRCA genetic test came back negative – meaning existing drugs did not work on her until now.

“I think this new option gives me more hope and more confidence to brave this ovarian cancer,” she said.

“Any drug that is beneficial for me and any other women will help us to have hope.”