Thousands of men worldwide living with advanced prostate cancer are set to benefit from a new life-extending drug, Talazoparib, after it received regulatory approval for clinical use. The once-daily pill, also marketed as Talzenna and produced by Pfizer, offers a crucial at-home treatment option for patients with few alternatives.
Talazoparib is prescribed for people whose cancer has spread and is taken alongside enzalutamide, another tablet that works by blocking the effects of testosterone on prostate cancer cells. The treatment is particularly suitable for patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy or other standard therapies.
The decision has been welcomed by clinicians and patient advocacy groups, who described it as a “real lifeline” for men affected by the disease. Talazoparib works by inhibiting enzymes that repair damaged DNA in cancer cells, causing them to die. Clinical trials have shown that patients taking Talazoparib with enzalutamide lived almost nine months longer than those on standard therapy, and experienced longer periods before their cancer progressed.
Regulatory bodies estimate that thousands of patients worldwide could be eligible for the treatment. Its availability as a pill that can be taken at home makes it a convenient and flexible option for men with advanced prostate cancer who have limited treatment choices.
Helen Knight, a leading expert in cancer drug evaluation, said: “This effective treatment can make a huge difference to the lives of people with advanced prostate cancer. Talazoparib plus enzalutamide provides a flexible therapy for patients who cannot undergo chemotherapy and who have exhausted other medicines.”
The approval comes amid a rise in prostate cancer cases globally. Prostate Cancer UK reported that 64,425 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, surpassing breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United Kingdom. The figures represent a 24% increase compared with the previous year, when 51,823 men were diagnosed. Similar trends have been observed in other countries, highlighting the growing global burden of the disease.
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “When hormone therapy stops working for a man with advanced prostate cancer, and they are unable to have chemotherapy, it can be hugely distressing. Their treatment options become more limited, and they face a lot of uncertainty. That’s why the approval of this treatment is so important.”
Prostate cancer is a hormone-driven disease, and while initial hormone therapies can be effective, many patients progress to a stage where options are limited. Talazoparib addresses this gap by targeting cancer cells differently, providing a new line of defence for men with advanced disease.
Experts say that home-based therapies like Talazoparib could reduce the need for frequent hospital visits, which can be challenging for patients with advanced cancer. The approval also underscores the importance of ongoing research and innovation in prostate cancer care, particularly for patients with few remaining options.
Patient advocacy groups have called for global efforts to expand access to the drug, ensuring that men with advanced prostate cancer worldwide can benefit from life-extending therapies without unnecessary delays.
The approval of Talazoparib represents a significant advance in treatment for advanced prostate cancer, offering hope, convenience, and extended survival for patients previously reliant on intensive hospital-based therapies.