What type of drug is Zejula?

Zejula (niraparib) is an oral, once-daily poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARP inhibitor).

PARP, or poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, is a protein that helps repair damaged DNA. PARP inhibitors are targeted therapies that are used in the treatment of certain cancers.

PARP inhibitors work by stopping the repair of the damaged DNA in cancer cells, resulting in the death of the cancer cells.

Zejula was the third PARP Inhibitor to be approved by the FDA.

Zejula is indicated:

• for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
• for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy.
  Select patients for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Zejula.