The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) has partnered with technology company Tempus to advance its Phase 2 clinical trial to identify the most effective treatment for prostate cancer in patients with genomic evidence of DNA repair problems. Tempus will screen the genomes of potential participants and analyze data from the study.

The trial (NCT03012321) is a randomized, Phase 2 study evaluating Lynparza (olaparib) plus prednisone, Zytiga (abiraterone acetate), or a combination of Lynparza, Zytiga, and prednisone in people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with DNA repair limitations. Participants with mutations of the three genes ATM, BRCA1, or BRCA2, which are DNA repair pathways thought to be involved in breast cancer and prostate cancer, will be randomized to one of three study groups.

The study will enroll 400 patients in more than 20 participating centers. Its primary goal is to determine the time to progression-free survival in each of the treatment groups.

“While progress has been made to improve the prognosis of those diagnosed with prostate cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer is a particularly difficult type to treat,” Maha Hussain, MD, the study’s principal investigator and PCCTC member from Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a press release. “We look forward to partnering with Tempus and learning from the genomic insights its technology will bring as we work to improve patient outcomes.”

“Tempus is pleased to work alongside the PCCTC in its efforts to bring more effective treatments to patients living with prostate cancer,” said Eric Lefkofsky, Tempus’ founder and CEO. “By bringing technology to the fight against cancer, we are confident that patient outcomes will improve.”

The PCCTC was created in 2005 by the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program to respond to gaps in prostate cancer clinical trial research.