Talazoparib in addition to enzalutamide for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Talazoparib in addition to enzalutamide is in clinical development for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in the UK. The cancer is called advanced (metastatic) prostate cancer when the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body like bones, lymph nodes outside the pelvis or rarely to the liver or lungs. It is not possible to cure metastatic prostate cancer but is possible to keep it under control. Prostate cancers that continue to grow despite hormonal therapies are called “castration-resistant” (also “hormone-refractory” or “hormone-relapsed”) prostate cancer.
Talazoparib is administered orally in capsule form and can lead to cancer cell death by blocking DNA repair by an enzyme called PARP. By blocking PARP enzymes, the damaged DNA in cancer cells cannot be repaired, and the cells die. Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor inhibitor that is already approved for the treatment of mCRPC. The addition of talazoparib is thought to increase the sensitivity of enzalutamide to the cancer cells, thereby improving treatment outcomes. If licensed, this combination would provide an additional first-line treatment for men with mCRPC.