New dual-Action Therapy Offers Hope for prostate Cancer Patients in Italy
Milan, October 15th (askanews) – Approximately 485,000 peopel in Italy live with a history of prostate cancer, with 40,000 new cases diagnosed in 2024 alone – a number that continues to rise. while prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and substantially impacts quality of life,advancements in research have made it the third leading cause of cancer-related death,as many cases are identified and curable in early stages.
However, a portion of patients experience disease progression, leading to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, a currently incurable and often fatal condition, especially when genetic alterations are present in 10-15% of cases.Fortunately, targeted therapies are now available for these patients.
“We can now use targeted drugs – smart medications that recognize diseased cells by identifying specific mutations and acting directly on them,” explains Professor Marco Maruzzo,Director of UOC Oncology 3 at the Veneto Oncology Institute. A new combination therapy, featuring a PARP inhibitor and abiraterone acetate, offers a promising new option. This oral formulation of abiraterone and niraparib provides easier management and improved patient adherence, offering disease control even when other treatments have become ineffective. Early scientific data suggests potential for use in earlier stages of the disease,with the goal of chronicizing even advanced illness.
the arrival of this first dual-action therapy signifies the growing impact of precision medicine in Italy. “We’ve successfully developed two oral anticancer drugs – niraparib, a PARP inhibitor, combined with abiraterone acetate,” says Alessandra Baldini, Medical Director of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Italia.”This is our first drug within the realm of ‘target therapy,’ identifying a specific gene driving the tumor and building a therapeutic solution around it for maximum effectiveness and tolerability.”
johnson & johnson is heavily invested in precision medicine, with existing targeted therapies for lung cancer (amivantamab) and plans to submit 35 new drug or indication dossiers to regulatory authorities by 2030. Ten have been approved in the last two years, six of which are targeted therapies. Looking ahead, the company is also exploring “cancer interception” – identifying genes that predict tumor evolution and blocking them at a very early stage.
