The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval of Zejula (niraparib) to Tesaro, Inc. The drug is a maintenance treatment for adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, whose tumors have shrunk after platinum-based chemotherapy. The FDA
These types of cancer affect the tissue covering the ovary or the lining of the fallopian tube or abdominal wall. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 22,000 women will be diagnosed of these cancers, with more than 14,000 patients dying.
According to the FDA, Zejula is a poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that blocks an enzyme involved in repairing damaged DNA, which makes the DNA inside the cancerous cells less likely to be repaired, leading to a slow-down or stoppage of tumor growth.