Costs and Barriers to Getting PARP Inhibitors

PARP inhibitors, which target and kill tumor cells, have gained expanded regulatory approval and use over the past few years for women with ovarian cancer, including recently being pushed to the front of a treatment plan. While a large proportion of patients with ovarian cancer will receive PARP inhibitors as part of their cancer treatment, their cost can make them difficult for some patients to afford. We spoke to Dr. Ursula Matulonis, chief of Gynecologic Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, about how expensive PARP inhibitors can be.

According to Dr. Matulonis, an obstacle for patients in the United States who want to obtain PARP inhibitors for treatment is not regulations, but rather the cost of medication. She makes clear that FDA approvals have only increased access to PARP inhibitors for more women. She says, “In the United States, we have access. So we have FDA approvals for treatment as…maintenance in the recurrent setting, and now, in the upfront setting for newly diagnosed women.” That access, however, doesn’t mean that PARP inhibitors are easy to afford.