Advancement of an investigational therapy into the adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant settings without clear evidence of efficacy in metastatic disease is exceptional; however, this course is being followed in the clinical investigation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, owing to their potential benefit for a well-defined subset of patients with tumours defective in homologous recombination. This Review provides a bench-to-bedside overview of PARP inhibitor therapy, and an update on the current status of the clinical development of such agents.
- Amir Sonnenblick
- Evandro de Azambuja
- Martine Piccart
