What does Rucaparib/Rucapari treat?

Rucaparib/Rucaparib is a targeted drug called a PARP inhibitor, also known as Rubraca, which is its trade name, and it is a treatment for many different cancer types. PARP is a protein that helps damaged cells repair themselves. Some cancer cells rely on PARP to keep their DNA healthy. This includes cancer cells with changes in the BRCA gene. So when rucapanib blocks PARP from repairing DNA damage, cancer cells die. Rucapanib is mainly used to treat the following conditions:

1. Maintenance treatment of BRCA-mutated recurrent ovarian cancer: Rucaparib is indicated for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with deleterious (germline and/or somatic) BRCA-mutated recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy.

2. BRCA-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) : Rucaparib is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic)-associated metastatic castration-resistant cancer who have received androgen receptor-directed therapy and taxane-based chemotherapy. Patients were selected for treatment based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved diagnostic companion diagnostics for rucaparib.

If it works, patients may be given rucaparib after platinum-based chemotherapy, which is called maintenance therapy. Platinum chemotherapy includes the drugs cisplatin and carboplatin. Rucapanib is a tablet that your doctor may recommend taking twice a day. Rucaparib is usually started within 8 weeks of the last dose of platinum-based chemotherapy. As long as it works, patients continue to take it and the side effects are not too severe.