Are niraparib and abiraterone tablets really targeted drugs?

Niraparibabiraterone tablets (Akeega) are indeed targeted therapy drugs. Targeted drugs refer to acting directly on certain characteristics or processes of cancer cells or tumor cells through specific molecular mechanisms to achieve the effect of inhibiting tumor growth and spread. Akeega is a combination drug that uses two active ingredients - niraparib and abiraterone - to target different targets and work together.

Niraparib (Niraparib) is a PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitor that mainly works by preventing cancer cells from repairing DNA damage. In normal cells, PARP is involved in the DNA damage repair process, while in cancer cells, the DNA damage repair mechanism is often a key factor in tumor growth. Niraparib controls the progression of cancer by inhibiting PARP, limiting the repair ability of cancer cells and increasing the death rate of cancer cells. Therefore, the targeted effect of niraparib is achieved by inhibiting the self-repair mechanism of cancer cells.

Abiraterone (Abiraterone) is a CYP17 inhibitor specifically used to reduce the synthesis of androgens in the body. Androgens are an important stimulator of prostate cancer cell growth. Abiraterone significantly reduces androgen levels by inhibiting the activity of CYP17 enzyme, thereby reducing the growth of hormone-dependent prostate cancer. Therefore, the targeted effect of abiraterone is to inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells by reducing androgen levels in the body.

Akeega combines these two targeting effects to exert anti-tumor effects through dual mechanisms. The combination of niraparib and abiraterone enables Akeega to effectively treat hormone-dependent or metastatic prostate cancer, especially when other treatments are ineffective, providing a new treatment option. Through this combination of drugs, Akeega not only inhibits androgen production, but also further enhances its tumor suppressive effect by enhancing the accumulation of DNA damage.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/akeega.html