Olaparib for BRCA-Mutated Ovarian, Breast, Pancreatic & Prostate Cancer: India Supply
Olaparib for BRCA-Mutated Ovarian, Breast, Pancreatic and Prostate Cancer: A Plain-English Guide
Medically Reviewed By: Shilpi Banerjee, Registered Pharmacist (M.Pharm)
Last updated: September 2026
A BRCA mutation diagnosis comes with a lot of unfamiliar terms all at once — PARP inhibitor, maintenance therapy, germline testing. Olaparib, sold under the brand name Lynparza, is usually one of the first drug names a patient hears.
This article walks through what the drug does, who it is approved for, how it is dosed, and what side effects and precautions come with it. Every clinical fact and every trial number below is drawn directly from the FDA-approved prescribing information for Lynparza (label effective July 2025) — not from marketing copy or secondhand summaries. Drug approvals differ by country and are revised over time, so treat this as background reading, not a substitute for what your own oncologist tells you.
Olaparib at a Glance
| Drug class | PARP inhibitor, a targeted therapy taken by mouth (not chemotherapy) |
| Brand name | Lynparza (developed by AstraZeneca and MSD) |
| Used for | Certain BRCA-mutated ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers, and HRD-positive ovarian cancer when combined with bevacizumab |
| Tablet strengths | 100 mg and 150 mg film-coated tablets |
| Usual adult dose | 300 mg (two 150 mg tablets) twice a day, about 12 hours apart, with or without food. Always follow your own prescription. |
| Before starting | A validated test must confirm the right BRCA or HRD result. Prescription-only medicine. |
| Common side effects | Nausea, tiredness, anemia, vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite |
| Good to know | Not a cure — it is used as maintenance or add-on therapy alongside surgery, chemotherapy or hormone treatment. |
What Is Olaparib and How Does It Work?
Olaparib is a PARP inhibitor — an oral drug that works by targeting how cancer cells repair their own DNA, rather than attacking dividing cells broadly the way chemotherapy does.
The Two Repair Pathways Inside a Cell
PARP Repairs small, single-strand breaks in DNA as they happen — routine maintenance every cell relies on. | BRCA1 and BRCA2 Handle the more serious double-strand breaks. A working copy of both genes is needed for this repair pathway. | What olaparib does Blocks PARP. In a cell that has already lost its BRCA repair pathway, unrepaired breaks accumulate until the cell cannot survive. |
A tumor with a harmful BRCA mutation — inherited or acquired — has already lost that second repair route and leans on PARP to get by. Olaparib removes that fallback. Healthy cells, which still have working BRCA genes, are far less affected. This selective vulnerability is called synthetic lethality, and it is the basis for every approval olaparib currently holds.
Germline vs. Somatic BRCA Mutations
- Germline: inherited, present in every cell of the body, and relevant to blood relatives.
- Somatic: present only in the tumor, not inherited.
- Some approvals require a germline mutation specifically (breast and pancreatic cancer); others accept either type (ovarian cancer).
What Does HRD Mean?
- HRD stands for homologous recombination deficiency — a tumor's inability to repair double-strand DNA breaks properly, with or without a BRCA mutation as the cause.
- It is measured directly on tumor tissue using an FDA-approved companion diagnostic.
- In advanced ovarian cancer, an HRD-positive result can make a patient eligible for olaparib combined with bevacizumab, even without a BRCA mutation.
Which Cancers Is Olaparib Used For?
The table below reflects the current FDA-approved indications. Other countries may approve fewer, or slightly different, uses.
| Cancer | Who it is typically for | What olaparib does |
|---|---|---|
| Ovarian (including fallopian tube and primary peritoneal) | BRCA-mutated (germline or somatic) or HRD-positive advanced disease that responded to platinum chemotherapy; or BRCA-mutated disease that came back and responded to platinum | Maintenance therapy to keep the cancer from returning or growing |
| Breast | Inherited (germline) BRCA-mutated, HER2-negative breast cancer: high-risk early stage after chemotherapy, or metastatic | Lowers recurrence risk in early disease; slows progression in metastatic disease |
| Pancreatic | Germline BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma that has not progressed after at least 16 weeks of first-line platinum chemotherapy | Maintenance therapy to delay progression |
| Prostate | Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with BRCA or other HRR gene mutations | Slows progression, alone or with abiraterone |
BRCA-Mutated Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is where olaparib was first approved, and it remains the setting with the most FDA-reviewed trial data.
First-Line Maintenance After Platinum Chemotherapy
- Surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy come first.
- If the cancer responds, olaparib is then taken as maintenance to hold that response.
- Treatment normally runs for up to two years, longer if the treating doctor sees continued benefit.
| NR vs 13.8 months | SOLO-1 · NCT01844986 Median progression-free survival, olaparib vs placebo, in the FDA review of this trial (hazard ratio 0.30; 95% CI 0.23–0.41; p<0.0001). "NR" means the median had not been reached at the time of analysis; overall survival data were not yet mature. |
When Ovarian Cancer Comes Back
- For BRCA-mutated cancer that has returned and responded again to platinum chemotherapy.
- Olaparib is used as maintenance until the disease progresses or side effects are no longer acceptable.
| 19.1 vs 5.5 months | SOLO-2 · NCT01874353 Median progression-free survival, olaparib vs placebo (hazard ratio 0.30). Overall survival numerically favored olaparib — 51.7 vs 38.8 months — but the label notes this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.0537). |
Olaparib Plus Bevacizumab for HRD-Positive Disease
- For advanced ovarian cancer with an HRD-positive result (a BRCA mutation and/or high genomic instability).
- Olaparib is added to bevacizumab as first-line maintenance.
| 37.2 vs 17.7 months | PAOLA-1 · NCT02477644 Median progression-free survival in patients with HRD-positive tumors, olaparib plus bevacizumab vs bevacizumab alone (hazard ratio 0.33). Overall survival also favored the combination: 75.2 vs 57.3 months. The label is specific that this benefit was concentrated in HRD-positive tumors — in patients whose tumors tested HRD-negative, adding olaparib made no measurable difference. |
BRCA-Mutated, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
High-Risk Early Breast Cancer
- Given for one year after surgery and chemotherapy, to patients with an inherited BRCA mutation and HER2-negative breast cancer considered high risk for recurrence.
- Patients with hormone-receptor-positive disease continue their endocrine therapy alongside it.
| 86% vs 77% | OlympiA · NCT02032823 3-year invasive disease-free survival, olaparib vs placebo (hazard ratio 0.58). 3-year overall survival also favored olaparib: 93% vs 89% (hazard ratio 0.68). |
Metastatic Breast Cancer
- For patients with a germline BRCA mutation who have already had chemotherapy.
- An oral alternative to further chemotherapy.
| 7.0 vs 4.2 months | OlympiAD · NCT02000622 Median progression-free survival by independent review, olaparib vs chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.58). Response rate was higher with olaparib (52% vs 23%), though overall survival was similar in both arms (19.3 vs 17.1 months) and did not differ significantly. |
What About HRD-Positive Breast Cancer?
- Olaparib is sometimes discussed alongside "HRD-positive" breast cancer online.
- The FDA-approved breast cancer indications are tied specifically to an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in HER2-negative disease, not to an HRD score on its own.
- HRD is a validated marker for ovarian cancer, not currently an approved basis for olaparib in breast cancer. If your tumor is described as HRD-positive, ask your oncologist directly whether olaparib applies, or whether a clinical trial is relevant.
- Our Clinical Trial Sourcing team supports research sponsors with drug procurement.
BRCA-Mutated Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to treat, which is part of why this approval matters even with a modest effect size.
- Approved as maintenance for patients with a germline BRCA mutation and metastatic disease that has not progressed after at least 16 weeks of first-line platinum chemotherapy.
- Genetic testing is increasingly recommended for everyone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, largely because of findings like this.
| 7.4 vs 3.8 months | POLO · NCT02184195 Median progression-free survival, olaparib vs placebo (hazard ratio 0.53). The FDA label is explicit that POLO did not demonstrate an overall survival benefit — median overall survival was nearly identical in both arms (19.0 vs 19.2 months). |
BRCA-Mutated Prostate Cancer
Men carry BRCA mutations too, and they turn up more often in advanced prostate cancer than most people expect. Olaparib is approved in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) — disease that keeps progressing despite hormone-lowering treatment — through two separate routes on the label:
- After a hormone drug: for mCRPC with HRR gene mutations (BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM and others) that has progressed following enzalutamide or abiraterone.
- Together with abiraterone: for mCRPC with a BRCA mutation specifically, olaparib is combined with abiraterone plus prednisone or prednisolone.
| 7.4 vs 3.6 months | PROfound, Cohort A · NCT02987543 Median radiographic progression-free survival in patients with BRCA1, BRCA2 or ATM mutations, olaparib vs enzalutamide or abiraterone (hazard ratio 0.34). Overall survival also favored olaparib: 19.1 vs 14.7 months (hazard ratio 0.69). |
| NR vs 8 months | PROpel, BRCA-mutated subgroup · NCT03732820 Median radiographic progression-free survival, olaparib plus abiraterone vs placebo plus abiraterone, specifically in the BRCA-mutated subgroup — the population this combination approval covers (hazard ratio 0.24). Overall survival also had not been reached in the olaparib arm versus 23 months with placebo (hazard ratio 0.30). |
Patients also continue androgen-deprivation therapy (a GnRH analog) or have had their testicles removed. Blood clots were reported more often in the prostate cancer trials, so this is one setting where your care team is likely to watch more closely for related symptoms.
How Do You Find Out if Olaparib Is an Option?
Olaparib is never started on a hunch — a validated biomarker result is the gate for every approval it holds. In practice, that usually looks like this:
1. Ask about testing early Your oncologist can order a germline test (blood or saliva), a tumor test on biopsy or surgical tissue, or both. | 2. Get the report in writing It should name the specific gene (BRCA1, BRCA2 or another HRR gene) and classify the finding as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. |
3. See a genetic counselor A germline result also matters for children, siblings and other blood relatives, who may want testing of their own. | 4. Match the result to the label Your oncologist checks the cancer type, stage, prior treatment and biomarker against what olaparib is actually approved for. |
Questions Worth Asking Your Oncologist
- Is my BRCA mutation germline or somatic, and does that change my options?
- Is olaparib being offered as maintenance, as active treatment, or combined with another drug?
- How long am I expected to stay on it?
- Which side effects should prompt a same-day call to your office?
- How often will I need blood tests?
How Olaparib Is Taken
Tablets and the Usual Dose
What Most Adults Are Prescribed
- Two 150 mg tablets in the morning and two in the evening, roughly 12 hours apart.
- Can be taken with or without food.
- Tablets are swallowed whole — not chewed, crushed, dissolved or split.
- If a dose is missed, the next one is taken at its usual scheduled time; doses are not doubled up.
If Side Effects Get in the Way
- Doctors can pause treatment or step the dose down: first to 250 mg twice daily, then to 200 mg twice daily if needed.
- Patients with moderate kidney impairment (creatinine clearance 31–50 mL/min) start at a reduced dose of 200 mg twice daily.
- Dose changes should only be made by the prescribing doctor, based on blood counts and how the patient is tolerating treatment.
Before You Refill
Check that the strength and total daily dose on the pharmacy label match what your oncologist last prescribed. Dose reductions for side effects, kidney function or drug interactions are common with olaparib, so the amount on a refill can legitimately change between visits — confirm rather than assume.
How Long Does Treatment Last?
| Situation | Usual duration |
|---|---|
| Newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer | Up to two years, or longer if the doctor sees continued benefit |
| High-risk early breast cancer | One year |
| Recurrent ovarian, metastatic breast, metastatic pancreatic and prostate cancer | Until the disease progresses or side effects are no longer acceptable |
Side Effects and Safety
Common Side Effects
Most patients notice some of these, particularly in the first few weeks of treatment.
- Nausea and vomiting (a light meal with each dose, or an anti-sickness medicine from your doctor, often helps)
- Tiredness and low energy
- Anemia (low red blood cells), which can add to the fatigue
- Diarrhea, indigestion or reduced appetite
- Headache, dizziness, a changed sense of taste, cough or breathlessness
- Low white blood cells or platelets, usually picked up on routine blood tests
Rare but Serious Problems: When to Call Your Team
- Fever, frequent infections, unusual bruising or bleeding, or extreme weakness — possible signs of low blood counts
- New or worsening cough, wheeze or shortness of breath — possible lung inflammation (pneumonitis), reported in about 1% of patients
- Pain or swelling in a leg, chest pain or sudden breathlessness — possible blood clot
- Dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, or abdominal discomfort — possible liver problems
- Blood counts are checked before starting treatment and monthly afterward.
- Across clinical trials, myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) — a serious bone marrow condition — developed in about 1.2% of patients treated with olaparib.
- Nearly all of these patients had received earlier platinum chemotherapy or other DNA-damaging treatment.
- Persistent, unexplained low blood counts are always investigated further.
To report a suspected side effect involving a product we supplied, use our adverse event reporting page. You can also report directly to your national regulator or to the marketing authorization holder.
Medicines, Food, Pregnancy and Daily Life
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Other medicines | Strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors (some antifungals such as itraconazole, some antibiotics such as clarithromycin) can raise olaparib levels; strong or moderate CYP3A inducers (rifampicin, some anti-seizure drugs, St John's wort) can lower them. Tell your care team about everything you take, prescription or otherwise. Grapefruit and Seville oranges are typically avoided too. |
| Pregnancy | Olaparib can cause fetal harm. Women who could become pregnant should use effective contraception during treatment and for 6 months after the last dose. Men whose partner could become pregnant should use contraception during treatment and for 3 months after. |
| Breastfeeding | Not recommended during treatment, or for one month after the last dose. |
| Driving and work | Tiredness and dizziness are common enough that caution is warranted until you know how you personally respond. |
Getting Olaparib: Access, Supply and India
Why Access Can Be Hard
Olaparib is a prescription-only cancer medicine. Where it is registered and reimbursed, patients typically receive it through a hospital or specialty pharmacy. In many other countries, it may not be launched yet, approval timelines can cause delays, or the price is simply out of reach for a family without support.
How Ikris Pharma Network Can Help
Ikris Pharma Network is a pharmaceutical sourcing and supply company — we do not manufacture medicines. We help hospitals, pharmacies, importers and treating doctors reach hard-to-find oncology products through documented, regulated channels. Depending on the destination country, that can mean:
- Our Indian Generic Medicines service
- Our Named Patient Management service, for medicines not yet registered locally
- Guidance on the import route: read how named-patient imports work
- Other cancer medicines: see our oncology supply from India overview
Whether a particular brand or an India-manufactured version can be supplied depends on the destination country's rules, the patient's prescription, and current availability. We confirm each case individually and never guess.
What to Have Ready When You Contact Us
- A prescription or letter from the treating oncologist
- The diagnosis and your BRCA or HRD test report
- The destination country and any import license or permit your hospital holds
- The strength and quantity needed, and the delivery address or hospital pharmacy
A Word of Caution About Unverified Sellers
- Counterfeit and diverted cancer medicines do circulate online, and a price that looks too good to be true usually is.
- Buy only from licensed suppliers who can show paperwork, batch details and proper storage handling.
- Be wary of anyone selling prescription oncology drugs without asking for a prescription first.
- Our trusted wholesale supplier guide explains what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions About Olaparib
What is olaparib used for?
Olaparib (Lynparza) is a targeted tablet used for cancers linked to BRCA mutations or faulty DNA repair. Depending on the country, that includes certain ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers, and it is prescribed only after a biomarker test confirms eligibility.
Is olaparib chemotherapy?
No. It is a targeted therapy called a PARP inhibitor. Chemotherapy damages fast-dividing cells throughout the body, while olaparib exploits a specific DNA-repair weakness in cancer cells with a BRCA mutation or similar deficiency. It can still cause side effects, and it is sometimes used after or alongside other cancer treatments.
Does olaparib cure cancer?
No trial has described it as a cure. It has extended the time before cancer progresses in several settings, and in early breast cancer it lowers the chance of recurrence. How much benefit any one person gets depends on the cancer type, stage and biology — worth asking your oncologist directly what to expect in your case.
Can I take olaparib if I do not have a BRCA mutation?
Sometimes. A few approvals rely on broader markers — HRD-positive ovarian cancer combined with bevacizumab, or a wider set of HRR gene mutations in prostate cancer. Outside those specific approvals, benefit has not been established, so olaparib should not be started without a supporting test result.
How long do people take olaparib?
It depends on the cancer. In newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer, treatment usually runs up to two years; in early breast cancer, one year. In recurrent ovarian, metastatic breast, metastatic pancreatic and prostate cancer, it continues until the disease progresses or side effects become unacceptable.
What are the most common side effects of olaparib?
Nausea, tiredness, anemia, vomiting, diarrhea and reduced appetite are the most frequently reported. Blood counts can fall, so regular testing is part of routine care. Rarer but serious risks include MDS/AML, lung inflammation, liver problems and blood clots, which is why warning symptoms are reported promptly.
How is olaparib different from niraparib, rucaparib and talazoparib?
All four are PARP inhibitors, but their FDA-approved uses, doses and side-effect profiles differ. Olaparib currently holds one of the broadest sets of approvals, spanning ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer. The right choice depends on the cancer, the biomarker result, prior treatment and how well a patient tolerates the drug.
Can men take olaparib?
Yes. Men with BRCA-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer can receive olaparib, and men with a germline BRCA mutation and HER2-negative breast cancer or pancreatic cancer may qualify under the same criteria that apply to women.
Which foods and medicines should I avoid while taking olaparib?
Tell your care team about every medicine and supplement you use. Certain antifungals and antibiotics can raise olaparib levels, while rifampicin, some anti-seizure drugs and St John's wort can lower them. Grapefruit and Seville oranges are typically avoided as well. Never start or stop a medicine without checking first.
What should I do if I miss a dose of olaparib?
Do not take a double dose. Per the FDA label, the next dose is taken at its usual scheduled time. If you are unsure, or you vomited shortly after taking a dose, call your oncology team rather than guessing.
How will I know if olaparib is working?
Your doctor will follow imaging and relevant blood markers — such as CA-125 in ovarian cancer or PSA in prostate cancer — alongside how you feel. During maintenance treatment, "working" usually means the cancer stays quiet rather than shrinking further, which is why regular check-ups matter even when you feel well.
Can olaparib be sourced from India for patients in other countries?
Often, yes — though it depends on the destination country's import rules, the prescription on file, and whether the medicine is already registered there. Ikris Pharma Network coordinates the documentation and logistics. Share your country and requirement, and we will tell you what is realistic.
About Ikris Pharma Network
Ikris Pharma Network is an international pharmaceutical services company with offices in Noida (India), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Hong Kong. We source, supply and distribute hard-to-access medicines, with a focus on oncology and rare diseases. Learn more on our company page, or explore other targeted cancer therapies, such as acalabrutinib for MCL, CLL and SLL.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Olaparib is a prescription-only medicine that must be started and monitored by a qualified oncologist. Do not start, stop or change any treatment based on this page. Approvals, doses and safety information vary by country and are updated over time, so always check the current product label and speak to your doctor. See our full disclaimer.
Sources
Every dosing, safety and efficacy figure in this article is drawn from a single primary source:
Lynparza (olaparib) Prescribing Information. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, in collaboration with Merck & Co. (MSD). U.S. Food and Drug Administration — label version effective July 10, 2025, retrieved from the FDA's openFDA drug label database. Sections referenced: Indications and Usage, Dosage and Administration, Warnings and Precautions, Adverse Reactions, Drug Interactions, Use in Specific Populations, and Clinical Studies (Section 14).
Section 14 of the label lists each trial by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, included above next to each result for anyone who wants to look up a trial directly:
- SOLO-1 — NCT01844986
- SOLO-2 — NCT01874353
- PAOLA-1 — NCT02477644
- OlympiA — NCT02032823
- OlympiAD — NCT02000622
- POLO — NCT02184195
- PROfound — NCT02987543
- PROpel — NCT03732820