Dr. Shore on the Safety Profiles of Relugolix and Leuprolide in Prostate Cancer

​Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center, discusses the safety profiles of relugolix (Relumina) and leuprolide (Lupron) in advanced prostate cancer.

While testosterone suppression can reduce cancer cell proliferation, it is associated with significant toxicity, says Shore. Moreover, cardiovascular events are of particular concern among elderly men with prostate cancer.

Regarding safety from the phase 3 HERO study presented at the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, cardiovascular events occurred in 7.1% of patients who were treated with leuprolide versus 3.9% of patients treated with relugolix. Additionally, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were observed in 6.2% and 2.9% of patients, respectively.

Ultimately, relugolix was found to induce a 54% reduction in the risk of MACEs compared with leuprolide among patients with advanced prostate cancer, concludes Shore.