Talazoparib plus enzalutamide versus placebo plus enzalutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer and changes in specific DNA repair genes: a plain language summary of the results from the TALAPRO-2 study

Fizazi, K; Azad, AA; Matsubara, N; Carles, J; Fay, AP; De Giorgi, U; Joung, JY; Fong, PCC; Voog, E; Jones, RJ; Shore, ND; Dunshee, C; Zschabitz, S; Oldenburg, J; Ye, D; Lin, X; Healy, CG; Di Santo, N; Laird, AD; Zohren, F; Agarwal, N

Author(s): Fizazi, K; Azad, AA; Matsubara, N; Carles, J; Fay, AP; De Giorgi, U; Joung, JY; Fong, PCC; Voog, E; Jones, RJ; Shore, ND; Dunshee, C; Zschabitz, S; Oldenburg, J; Ye, D; Lin, X; Healy, CG; Di Santo, N; Laird, AD; Zohren, F; Agarwal, N;
Details: Publication Year 2025-03,Volume 21,Issue #6,Page 637-652
Journal Title: Future Oncology
Publication Type: Commentary
Abstract: What is this summary about?; This summary describes results from the TALAPRO-2 clinical research study. The TALAPRO-2 study tested a combination of two medicines called talazoparib and enzalutamide. These medicines were used as the first treatment for adults with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer(mCRPC). The combination of talazoparib plus enzalutamide was compared with a placebo plus enzalutamide. There were two groups of patients in the TALAPRO-2 study. This part of the study looked at the group of patients in TALAPRO-2 who had changes in specific DNA repair genes within their tumors. These changes may potentially make cancer cells more vulnerable to talazoparib plus enzalutamide treatment compared with cancer cells that do not have these changes.; What are the goals of the TALAPRO-2 study?; TALAPRO-2 looked at whether combining talazoparib plus enzalutamide would increase the length of time patients lived before their cancer got worse or they died (known as progression-free survival)compared with a placebo plus enzalutamide. Researchers also looked at how these treatments affected the size and number of tumors. The safety of talazoparib plus enzalutamide was also assessed by looking at the number and type of any side effects that patients had during the study. The goals of this part of the study were to see if patients with changes in specific DNA repair genes, called homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes,responded differently to talazoparib plus enzalutamide compared with placebo plus enzalutamide.; What are the key takeaways?; A total of 399 patients with mCRPC and changes in HRR genes within their tumors took part in the study. Compared with patients who took a placebo plus enzalutamide, those who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide had a 55% lower chance of their cancer getting worse or dying. Although this benefit with talazoparib plus enzalutamide was seen in all patients with changes in the HRR genes that were studied, the benefit was more pronounced in those patients with changes in BRCA genes within their tumors (patients who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide had an 80% lower chance of their cancer getting worse or dying than those who took a placebo plus enzalutamide). BRCA is one of the specific HRR gene types this study looked at. Of patients with measurable disease at the start of the study (assessed by scans such as CT, MRI, or bone scans), 67% (49 out of 73)who took talazoparib plus enzalutamide had their tumors decrease or shrink to the point that they could no longer be seen on scans versus 40% (26 out of 65) who took a placebo plus enzalutamide. The most common side effects of talazoparib plus enzalutamide were low levels of red blood cells (65% of patients), excessive tiredness or exhaustion(33% of patients), low levels of neutrophils(32% of patients), and low levels of platelets(25% of patients).
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Department(s): Medical Oncology
Publisher's Version: https://doi.org/10.1080/14796694.2025.2449754
Terms of Use/Rights Notice: Refer to copyright notice on published article.

Creation Date: 2026-01-09 05:37:25

Last Modified: 2026-01-09 05:38:15