Tesaro ovarian cancer drug gets EU agency backing

A European Medicines Agency (EMA) panel recommended the approval of Tesaro Inc’s key drug, niraparib, for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

The recommendation comes months after the drug’s approval and launches in the United States, where it is sold at a list price of $9,833 for a one-month supply and is marketed as Zejula.

The list price of a drug is not necessarily what patients actually pay. Their “out-of-pocket” cost is based on their individual healthcare insurance plans and duration of treatment.

Epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer affects the tissue covering the ovary or lining of the fallopian tube or abdominal wall.

Niraparib kills cancer cells by inhibiting the production of proteins called poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), which helps repair damaged DNA strands, thereby hastening the death of some types of cancer cells.

Effective PARP inhibitors are sought after by drugmakers because of their potential to be used in combination with other types of cancer treatments to create new breakthrough treatments.