Health Canada has approved AstraZeneca’s and Merck’s jointly developed Lynparza (olaparib) for the treatment of men with a specific form of mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The approval was supported by a global phase 3 trial evaluating Lynparza vs. a new hormonal agent (abiraterone or enzalutamide), with results indicating Lynparza significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death and delayed time to pain progression.

Lynparza was previously approved in Canada for ovarian, breast and pancreatic cancers.