Abstract
Oral abiraterone acetate (Zytiga®) is a selective inhibitor of CYP17 and thereby inhibits androgen biosynthesis, with androgen signalling crucial in the progression from primary to metastatic prostate cancer (PC) and subsequently, in the development of metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC). In large phase 3 trials and in the clinical practice setting, oral abiraterone acetate in combination with prednisone was an effective treatment and had an acceptable, manageable tolerability and safety profile in chemotherapy-naive and docetaxel-experienced men with mCRPC. In the pivotal global phase 3 trials, relative to placebo (+prednisone), abiraterone acetate (+prednisone) prolonged overall survival (OS) at data maturity (final analysis) and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) at all assessed timepoints. Given its efficacy in prolonging OS and its convenient once-daily oral regimen, in combination with prednisone, abiraterone acetate is an important first-line option for the treatment of mCRPC.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
References
World Cancer Research Fund International. Cancer facts and figures: worldwide data. 2012. http://www.wcrf.org. Accessed 6 Apr 2017.
Chandrasekar T, Yang JC, Gao AC, et al. Mechanisms of resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Transl Androl Urol. 2015;4(3):365–80.
Kapoor A, Wu C, Shayegan B, et al. Contemporary agents in the management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Can Urol Assoc J. 2016;10(11–12):E414–23.
Tsao CK, Galsky MD, Small AC, et al. Targeting the androgen receptor signalling axis in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). BJU Int. 2012;110(11):1580–8.
Schweizer MT, Antonarakis ES. Abiraterone and other novel androgen-directed strategies for the treatment of prostate cancer: a new era of hormonal therapies is born. Ther Adv Urol. 2012;4(4):167–78.
Hoy SM. Abiraterone acetate: a review of its use in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Drugs. 2013;73(18):2077–91.
European Medicines Agency. Zytiga 250 mg tablets: summary of product characteristics. 2017. http://www.ema.europa.eu/. Accessed 14 Jul 2017.
Janssen Biotech Inc. Zytiga® (abiraterone acetate) tablets: US prescribing information. 2016. https://www.zytiga.com/. Accessed 20 Mar 2017.
Montgomery RB, Mostaghel EA, Vessella R, et al. Maintenance of intratumoral androgens in metastatic prostate cancer: a mechanism for castration-resistant tumor growth. Cancer Res. 2008;68(11):4447–54.
Lam H-M, McMullin R, Nguyen HM, et al. Characterization of an abiraterone ultraresponsive phenotype in castration-resistant prostate cancer patient-derived xenografts. Clin Cancer Res. 2016. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2054.
Tolcher AW, Chi KN, Shore ND, et al. Effect of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone on the QT interval in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2012;70(2):305–13.
Chi KN, Spratlin J, Kollmannsberger C, et al. Food effects on abiraterone pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects and patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. J Clin Pharmacol. 2015;55(12):1406–14.
Inoue K, Shishido A, Vaccaro N, et al. Pharmacokinetics of abiraterone in healthy Japanese men: dose-proportionality and effect of food timing. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2015;75(1):49–58.
Marbury T, Lawitz E, Stonerock R, et al. Single-dose pharmacokinetic studies of abiraterone acetate in men with hepatic or renal impairment. J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;54(7):732–41.
Chi KN, Tolcher A, Lee P, et al. Effect of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone on the pharmacokinetics of dextromethorphan and theophylline in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2013;71(1):237–44.
Ryan CJ, Smith MR, de Bono JS, et al. Abiraterone in metastatic prostate cancer without previous chemotherapy. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(2):138–48.
Ryan CJ, Smith MR, Fizazi K, et al. Abiraterone acetate plus prednisone versus placebo plus prednisone in chemotherapy-naive men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (COU-AA-302): final overall survival analysis of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(2):152–60.
Rathkopf DE, Smith MR, de Bono JS, et al. Updated interim efficacy analysis and long-term safety of abiraterone acetate in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients without prior chemotherapy (COU-AA-302). Eur Urol. 2014;66(5):815–25.
de Bono JS, Logothetis CJ, Molina A, et al. Abiraterone and increased survival in metastatic prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(21):1995–2005.
Fizazi K, Scher HI, Molina A, et al. Abiraterone acetate for treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: final overall survival analysis of the COU-AA-301 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13(10):983–92.
Ye D, Huang Y, Zhou F, et al. A phase 3, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled efficacy and safety study of abiraterone acetate in chemotherapy-naïve patients with mCRPC in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Russia. Asian J Urol. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.ajur.2017.01.002.
Sun Y, Zou Q, Sun Z, et al. Abiraterone acetate for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel failure: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 bridging study. Int J Urol. 2016;23(5):404–11.
Morris MJ, Molina A, Small EJ, et al. Radiographic progression-free survival as a response biomarker in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: COU-AA-302 results. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(12):1356–63.
Attard G, de Bono JS, Logothetis CJ, et al. Improvements in radiographic progression-free survival stratified by ERG gene status in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with abiraterone acetate. Clin Cancer Res. 2015;21(7):1621–7.
Basch E, Autio K, Ryan CJ, et al. Abiraterone acetate plus prednisone versus prednisone alone in chemotherapy-naive men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: patient-reported outcome results of a randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(12):1193–9.
Cella D, Li S, Li T, et al. Repeated measures analysis of patient-reported outcomes in prostate cancer after abiraterone acetate. J Community Support Oncol. 2016;14(4):148–54.
Smith MR, Rathkopf DE, Mulders PF, et al. Efficacy and safety of abiraterone acetate in elderly (75 years or older) chemotherapy naive patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. J Urol. 2015;194(5):1277–84.
Bellmunt J, Kheoh T, Yu MK, et al. Prior endocrine therapy impact on abiraterone acetate clinical efficacy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: post-hoc analysis of randomised phase 3 studies. Eur Urol. 2016;69(5):924–32.
Saad F, Shore N, Van Poppel H, et al. Impact of bone-targeted therapies in chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with abiraterone acetate: post hoc analysis of study COU-AA-302. Eur Urol. 2015;68(4):570–7.
de Bono JS, Smith MR, Saad F, et al. Subsequent chemotherapy and treatment patterns after abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: post hoc analysis of COU-AA-302. Eur Urol. 2017;71(4):656–64.
Xu XS, Ryan CJ, Stuyckens K, et al. Correlation between prostate-specific antigen kinetics and overall survival in abiraterone acetate-treated castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res. 2015;21(14):3170–7.
Goodman OB Jr, Flaig TW, Molina A, et al. Exploratory analysis of the visceral disease subgroup in a phase III study of abiraterone acetate in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2014;17(1):34–9.
Mulders PFA, Molina A, Marberger M, et al. Efficacy and safety of abiraterone acetate in an elderly patient subgroup (aged 75 and older) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Eur Urol. 2014;65(5):875–83.
Fizazi K, Flaig TW, Stockle M, et al. Does Gleason score at initial diagnosis predict efficacy of abiraterone acetate therapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer? An analysis of abiraterone acetate phase III trials. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(4):699–705.
Scher HI, Heller G, Molina A, et al. Circulating tumor cell biomarker panel as an individual-level surrogate for survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(12):1348–55.
Montgomery B, Kheoh T, Molina A, et al. Impact of baseline corticosteroids on survival and steroid androgens in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: exploratory analysis from COU-AA-301. Eur Urol. 2015;67(5):866–73.
Ryan CJ, Molina A, Li J, et al. Serum androgens as prognostic biomarkers in castration-resistant prostate cancer: results from an analysis of a randomized phase III trial. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(22):2791–8.
Chi KN, Kheoh T, Ryan CJ, et al. A prognostic index model for predicting overall survival in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone acetate after docetaxel. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(3):454–60.
Logothetis CJ, Basch E, Molina A, et al. Effect of abiraterone acetate and prednisone compared with placebo and prednisone on pain control and skeletal-related events in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: exploratory analysis of data from the COU-AA-301 randomised trial. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13(12):1210–7.
Sternberg CN, Molina A, North S, et al. Effect of abiraterone acetate on fatigue in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel chemotherapy. Ann Oncol. 2013;24(4):1017–25.
Harland S, Staffurth J, Molina A, et al. Effect of abiraterone acetate treatment on the quality of life of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after failure of docetaxel chemotherapy. Eur J Cancer. 2013;49(17):3648–57.
Sternberg CN, Castellano D, Daugaard G, et al. Abiraterone acetate for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after chemotherapy: final analysis of a multicentre, open-label, early-access protocol trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014;15(11):1263–8.
Houede N, Beuzeboc P, Gourgou S, et al. Abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: long term outcome of the Temporary Authorization for Use programme in France. BMC Cancer. 2015;15:222.
Van Praet C, Rottey S, Van Hende F, et al. Abiraterone acetate post-docetaxel for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the Belgian compassionate use program. Urol Oncol. 2016;34(6):254.e7–13.
Pilon D, Behl AS, Ellis LA, et al. Duration of treatment in prostate cancer patients treated with abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2017;23(2):225–35.
Azad AA, Eigl BJ, Leibowitz-Amit R, et al. Outcomes with abiraterone acetate in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients who have poor performance status. Eur Urol. 2015;67(3):441–7.
European Medicines Agency. Zytiga-H-C-2321-II-0004-G: EPAR assessment report variation. 2013. http://www.ema.europa.eu. Accessed 14 Jul 2017.
Ruiz Gracia P, Dearden L, Antoni L, et al. Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer: comparison of hypertension, neurological and psychiatric adverse events on enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone treatment [abstract no. 738P]. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(Suppl. 6).
Moreira RB, Debiasi M, Maluf F, et al. Differential side effects profile in mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [abstract no. 73]. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(2 Suppl.).
Janssen Pharma Co. Abiraterone acetate (Zaitiga®) 250 mg tablet: Japanese prescribing information. 2015. http://www.pmda.go.jp/. Accessed 21 May 2017.
Cornford P, Bellmunt J, Bolla M, et al. EAU-ESTRO-SIOG guidelines on prostate cancer. Part II: treatment of relapsing, metastatic, and castration-resistant prostate cancer. Eur Urol. 2017;71(4):630–42.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology: prostate cancer. 2017. https://www.nccn.org. Accessed 20 Mar 2017.
Flaig TW, Potluri RC, Ng Y, et al. Treatment evolution for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with recent introduction of novel agents: retrospective analysis of real-world data. Cancer Med. 2016;5(2):182–91.
Lafeuille MH, Grittner AM, Lefebvre P, et al. Adherence patterns for abiraterone acetate and concomitant prednisone use in patients with prostate cancer. J Manag Care Pharm. 2014;20(5):477–84.
Ellis LA, Lafeuille MH, Gozalo L, et al. Treatment sequences and pharmacy costs of 2 new therapies for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2015;8(4):185–95.
Ramaekers BL, Riemsma R, Tomini F, et al. Abiraterone acetate for the treatment of chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: an evidence Review Group Perspective of an NICE Single Technology Appraisal. Pharmacoeconomics. 2017;35(2):191–202.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Abiraterone for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen (NICE technology appraisal guidance 259). 2016. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/. Accessed 17 Jul 2017.
Acknowledgments
During the peer review process, the manufacturer of abiraterone acetate was also offered an opportunity to review this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Funding
The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.
Conflict of interest
Lesley Scott is a salaried employee of Adis/Springer, is responsible for the article content and declares no relevant conflicts of interest. Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found at http://www.medengine.com/Redeem/AB98F0605A2BB450.
Additional information
The manuscript was reviewed by: P. Albertsson, Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; R.J. Amato, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Memorial Hermann Cancer Centre, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Medical School), Houston, TX, USA; B. Lennernas, Department of Oncology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; C. Massard, Department of Drug Development, DITEP Gustave Roussy, University of Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scott, L.J. Abiraterone Acetate: A Review in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostrate Cancer. Drugs 77, 1565–1576 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-017-0799-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-017-0799-9