Dr. George on Investigational Agents Downstream of the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer

Daniel J. George, MD, professor of medicine and surgery, member, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses investigational agents downstream of the androgen receptor (AR) in advanced prostate cancer.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to understand how to pair agents downstream of the AR with other treatments, says George. However, such combinations could obviate the need for a sequential approach, he adds. Several novel mechanisms of action are under investigation, including transcription factors, such as EZH2 and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunits, agents which could modulate resistance to the AR. In addition, PARP inhibitors are under evaluation in selected patient populations.

Investigators are also evaluating novel ways to target the AR besides just the ligand domain, says George. Additional therapeutic classes under investigation include immunotherapy and PSMA-targeted strategies, such as bispecific antibodies and radiopharmaceuticals.