Catching up on recent approvals……..
The FDA recently approved a new oral therapy, Akeega (niraparib and abiraterone acetate) from Janssen Pharmaceutical, the first-and-only dual action tablet combining a PARP inhibitor with abiraterone acetate, given with prednisone, for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), as detected by an FDA-approved test.
As noted in the press release prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., with an estimated 288,300 new cases and nearly 35,000 deaths expected in 2023. Upwards of 15 percent of patients with mCRPC have BRCA gene alterations. Patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC are more likely to have aggressive disease and may experience poor outcomes and a shorter survival time.
The recommended starting dose is 200 mg niraparib/1,000 mg abiraterone acetate (two tablets). The 100 mg niraparib/1,000 mg abiraterone acetate dose option (two tablets) is available for dose reduction.
Janssen did not confirm the cost of Akeega at the time of approval, however, its cost is listed at $9,600 with coupon through GoodRx.
Janssen did not announce distribution details at the time of approval but at least one specialty pharmacy, Onco360, has since confirmed that they are at least one provider selected to be a limited distribution partner for Akeega.
CLICK HERE for full prescribing details
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U.S. FDA Approves Akeega (Niraparib and Abiraterone Acetate), the First-And-Only Dual Action Tablet for the Treatment of Patients with BRCA-Positive Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Approval is based on the Phase 3 MAGNITUDE study, a prospectively designed precision medicine study including the largest population of BRCA-positive patients in combination trials to date with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
Akeega plus prednisone significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival compared to abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) in patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC
HORSHAM, Pa., – The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Akeega (niraparib and abiraterone acetate), the first-and-only dual action tablet combining a PARP inhibitor with abiraterone acetate, given with prednisone, for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-positive mCRPC, as detected by an FDA-approved test.
