A major clinical trial which is part funded by the Movember Foundation has hit the news recently. Find out why.

A major clinical trial which is part funded by the Movember Foundation has hit the news recently as new results suggest that a known drug used in the treatment of ovarian cancer may also may also benefit men with prostate cancer.

The drug known (as Olaparib) is the first to target inherited genetic mutations and to date has been used to treat women with the BRCA gene mutations. These are the same mutations that led Angelia Jolie to have her ovaries removed. The trial showed that the drug stopped prostate cancer growth; this led to falls in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, in tumour cells circulating in the blood and in radiological responses on CT & MRI scans. The response rate was higher in patients whose tumours carried mutations.

Dr. Mark Buzza, Programmes Manager for the Movember Foundations Global Action Plan, comments:

“It's fantastic to see this collaborative research effort leading to revolutionary discoveries that are being rapidly translated into the clinic and poised to dramatically improve treatment options for men with prostate cancer. The Movember Foundation aims to fund the most promising prostate cancer research in order to accelerate patient outcomes, and this work is a great example of different groups coming together to achieve that. It’s vital that the Movember Foundation is able to continue to fund such exciting research that will change lives - we thank our Mo Bros and Mo Sistas for their valuable contribution to this research.”

This research is led by the Institute of Cancer Research and part- funded through the Movember Foundation’s research programmes in partnership with our men’s health partners Prostate Cancer UK and the Prostate Cancer Foundation in the US. Other funders include Stand Up To Cancer and Cancer Research UK, with support from the Investigator – Sponsored Study Collaboration between AstraZeneca and the National Cancer Research Network.

You can read more about the science here and check out the story in the UK media here.