Olaparib

Uses

This anti-cancer medication is used to maintain treatments in patients with following conditions:

• Ovarian cancer in its advanced stages
• Cancer of the fallopian tube
• Cancer of the peritoneum
• Breast cancer that has progressed
• Prostate cancer that has progressed
• Pancreatic cancer

This drug is typically used in patients who have completely or partially responded to chemotherapy treatments.

IUPAC name: 4-[[3-[4-(cyclopropanecarbonyl)piperazine-1-carbonyl]-4-fluorophenyl]methyl]-2H-phthalazin-1-one

Drug class: Antineoplastic; PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitor

Route of administration: Oral

Is it a drug that needs a prescription? YES

Is it an OTC drug? NO

Mechanism of action

Olaparib works by inhibiting the activity of the PARP enzyme, which plays a crucial role in restoring damaged DNA in cancerous cells. This results in the death of cancerous cells and tumor growth has been prevented.

Side effects

Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, taste changes, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, dizziness, back/muscle pain, decreased amount of urine, anemia, decreased platelet counts, decreased white blood cells count, shortness of breath, skin rash.

Precautions

Take the following precautions before using this drug and notify your doctor:

If you are allergic to it or if you have any other allergies,

If you are taking any other medications (prescribed, non-prescribed, or herbal products),

If you have a medical history of respiratory problems, renal or hepatic disease.

This drug should not be used when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do not get pregnant while using this medicine, use an effective form of birth control.