What the trial was testing
The ARIEL4 enrolled 349 patients with ovarian cancer. The study was sponsored by pharmaand GmbH and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Women on rucaparib went 7.4 months without cancer growth versus 5.7 months on chemotherapy.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2022 · NCT02855944
These findings — that time before cancer grew on rucaparib compared to chemotherapy — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 349 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with ovarian cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Rucaparib is FDA-approved for ovarian cancer with BRCA mutations. If you have relapsed ovarian cancer and carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, talk to your oncologist about whether rucaparib is right for you. It may offer more time before cancer progresses compared to chemotherapy.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open ovarian cancer trials
A Phase 1/2 Trial of TER-2013 in Patients With Solid Tumors Harboring AKT/PI3K/PTEN Pathway Alterations
This is a Phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and anti-tumor activity of TER-2013 in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring AKT/PI3K/PTEN pathway alterations.
Tinzaparin And Biomarkers After Neoadjuvant Treatment of Ovarian Cancer
Background: Previous findings have indicated antineoplastic properties of tinzaparin (Innohep®), a commonly used anti-coagulant. Earlier studies have mainly investigated the antineoplastic effects of tinzaparin in animal models and in human cell-lines. In this pilot study the aim is to examine the potential antitumoral effects of tinzaparin in vivo in women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Study objectives: Primary objective: The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of tinzaparin on changes in levels of CA-125 in EOC patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Secondary objectives: The secondary objective of the study is to explore the impact of tinzaparin on the dynamic of a spectrum of immunological and coagulation factors in EOC patients who receive NACT. Besides, the compliance of tinzaparin injections and adverse events caused by tinzaparin will be described.