Overview
Akeega is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have a BRCA mutation (a change in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that can increase cancer risk). A person must be selected for treatment based on results from an FDA-approved genetic test. A person must also receive a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog or have had a bilateral orchiectomy (surgical removal of both testes) when taking Akeega.  Akeega is also known by its drug names, niraparib and abiraterone acetate.

Akeega combines two drugs: niraparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, and abiraterone acetate, a CYP17 inhibitor. Niraparib works by preventing cancer cells from repairing their DNA, which may lead to cell death. Abiraterone reduces production of androgens (types of sex hormones), which helps slow the growth of prostate cancer.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Akeega is taken orally once daily on an empty stomach, along with a daily dose of prednisone. Food should not be consumed for at least two hours before and one hour after taking the medication. Akeega should be taken exactly as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Akeega include decreased hemoglobin, low levels of lymphocytes, white blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets, as well as musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, constipation, hypertension (high blood pressure), nausea, increased liver enzymes (AST and ALT), increased or decreased potassium levels, increased creatinine, edema (swelling), dyspnea (shortness of breath), decreased appetite, vomiting, dizziness, headache, pyrexia (fever), urinary tract infection, cough, insomnia, weight loss, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), and falls.

Rare but serious side effects may include myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia (types of blood cancer), severe myelosuppression (bone marrow suppression), hepatotoxicity (liver damage), adrenocortical insufficiency (reduced hormone production from adrenal glands), hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar), posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES, a rare brain condition with symptoms like headache and confusion), and embryo-fetal toxicity (risk of harm to an unborn baby). The use of Akeega with radium Ra 223 dichloride is not recommended due to increased risk of fractures and death.

For more information about this treatment, visit:
Akeega (Niraparib and Abiraterone Acetate) Tablets, for Oral Use — Janssen Biotech