Talazoparib

Talazoparib (Talzenna) is a targeted therapy for metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer that is hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative, or triple-negative, in people with an inherited BRCA gene mutation.

Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, bones, or brain. When a breast cancer is locally advanced, it has grown to large size in the breast or has spread from where it started in the breast to nearby tissue or lymph nodes, but not to distant parts of the body.

Talazoparib is the second PARP inhibitor approved to treat breast cancer. The first, olaparib (Lynparza), was approved for breast cancer in 2018.

How talazoparib works

Talazoparib is a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP, inhibitor. PARP inhibitors stop the PARP enzyme from repairing cancer cell DNA. This causes cells with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations to die.

In a clinical trial, participants who took talazoparib had a longer time before cancer grew or spread (progressed) compared to participants who received standard treatment.

Who gets talazoparib

Talazoparib is approved for people who test positive for an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and who have hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, or triple-negative, metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer.

Talazoparib is not approved to be given as the first treatment for metastatic breast cancer, but can be used later if initial treatments stop working.

To find out if you have an inherited BRCA mutation, you’ll need genetic testing. You can ask your doctor to refer you to a genetic counselor to talk about and order the test. Not all cancer centers have genetic counselors, so if yours doesn’t, your doctor can also arrange testing for you and explain what the results mean for you and your family.

How talazoparib is given

Talazoparib is a pill. It must be taken once a day, with or without food.

Side effects and things to remember

Talazoparib’s most common side effects are:

• Anemia
• Neutropenia
• Fatigue
• Low blood platelet counts, which can lead to easier bruising or bleeding
• Loss of appetite
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Hair loss

Rarely, talazoparib and other PARP inhibitors may cause serious blood diseases. Your doctor will monitor you throughout treatment to watch for these diseases.

Certain medicines and dietary supplements can change how well talazoparib works. It is important to let your doctor know about any medicines and supplements you are taking before starting talazoparib. Write down a list of all the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take and share it with your doctor.

Before starting treatment, tell your doctor if you:

• Have kidney problems
• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• Are breastfeeding

Talazoparib is harmful to a fetus and may cause miscarriage, so you should not become pregnant during treatment or take the medicine if you are already pregnant. If you are able to become pregnant, you should use reliable birth control during all cancer treatment.

You should not breastfeed while taking talazoparib because experts don’t know if it will harm your baby. Doctors recommend waiting 1 month after your last dose of talazoparib before you start breastfeeding. Remember, though, that many other cancer treatments may impact breastfeeding. Always ask your doctor if it’s safe to breastfeed when you switch to a new medicine.