olaparib + durvalumab (Duke University)

olaparib + durvalumab is a combination therapy being evaluated as a maintenance treatment for patients with platinum-sensitive advanced triple-negative breast cancer (aTNBC). Olaparib is a small molecule inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzymes, which are involved in DNA repair; by inhibiting PARP, the drug induces synthetic lethality in cells with homologous recombination deficiencies. Durvalumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), blocking its interaction with PD-1 and CD80, thereby releasing the inhibition of immune responses. The combination is hypothesized to be synergistic, as PARP inhibition may enhance the visibility of the tumor to the immune system. The Phase II DORA trial, sponsored by Duke University, specifically investigated this combination as a chemotherapy-free maintenance strategy.

Other names

olaparib and durvalumabdurvalumab and olaparib