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PARP inhibitor

Olaparib

Lynparza · OLAP

PARP inhibitor · approved 2014 · 8 references

A PARP inhibitor that raises creatinine by blocking tubular transporters, mimicking - but not causing - true GFR loss.

Signature injury
Pseudo-AKI
Severity
Mild
Reversibility
Reversible
Onset
Creatinine rise within weeks of starting therapy; reverses on discontinuation.

Signature kidney injury & incidence

Pseudo-AKI — representative incidence ~22.1%.

Olaparib commonly causes a reversible, dose-dependent rise in serum creatinine. In a 66-patient study, median creatinine rose ~14% (and creatinine-based eGFR fell ~13%) on treatment, while cystatin C and cystatin C-based eGFR were unchanged - indicating no true GFR decline. Thrombotic microangiopathy is a rare, case-level event for the PARP-inhibitor class. Reported rate: creatinine-defined acute kidney injury within 12 months of olaparib initiation in 22.1% — Adults with ovarian cancer treated with olaparib at a single major Boston cancer center, 2015-2021 (n=194… (Gupta 2023, PMID 37074956).

Source: Gupta et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2023

Reported injury signatures: Pseudo-AKI, Thrombotic Microangiopathy.

Renal toxicity profile

  1. Pseudo-AKIPrimary~22.1%AKI (>=1.5x baseline SCr) within 12mo in 22.1% of olaparib-treated; only ~3% drug-attributable, transient eGFR dip that recovers after cessation
  2. Thrombotic MicroangiopathyRare

Onset timing & rechallenge

Subacute (~1–6 weeks) — Creatinine rises within weeks of starting therapy and reverses on discontinuation.

Mechanism of kidney injury

Olaparib inhibits renal tubular transporters (notably OCT2-mediated uptake and MATE1/MATE2-K-mediated efflux) that secrete creatinine, raising serum creatinine and lowering creatinine-based eGFR while measured/cystatin C-based GFR is preserved - a pseudo-AKI. Rare TMA reflects endothelial injury and is mechanistically distinct from this transporter effect.

Clinical presentation

Isolated, reversible creatinine elevation with stable cystatin C-based eGFR and clear discordance between creatinine- and cystatin C-derived eGFR. Rare TMA presents with microangiopathic hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and AKI. Anemia is the most common overall toxicity and can prompt renal workup.

Management

Most creatinine elevations require no intervention and reverse on discontinuation; confirm preserved true GFR with cystatin C when clinically important (e.g., dosing of co-administered renally cleared drugs). Investigate alternative causes - including rare TMA - if cytopenias or hemolysis accompany the AKI.

Risk factors

  • Pre-existing chronic kidney disease (complicates creatinine interpretation)
  • Concurrent drugs affecting tubular creatinine secretion (e.g., trimethoprim, cimetidine)

Prevention

  • Recognize the benign, transporter-mediated nature of the creatinine rise
  • Use cystatin C-based eGFR to assess true renal function when needed
  • Avoid unnecessary dose changes for isolated creatinine elevation

Renal dose adjustment

No starting-dose change for mild renal impairment (CrCl 51-80). For moderate impairment (CrCl 31-50), reduce the dose (e.g., to 200 mg twice daily) per labeling. Severe impairment/ESKD (CrCl <30) is not recommended due to limited data; if used, monitor closely.

Dialyzability & ESKD dosing

Olaparib is protein-bound and predominantly hepatically metabolized (CYP3A); dialyzability is not well characterized and it is not relied upon for clearance. Avoid in dialysis-dependent ESKD given sparse data.

Differential diagnosis

The defining distinction is pseudo-AKI (creatinine up, cystatin C-based eGFR stable) versus true AKI. If hemolysis and thrombocytopenia accompany the creatinine rise, evaluate for PARP-inhibitor TMA rather than a transporter artifact.

Monitoring

  • Serum creatinine periodically (interpret with the OCT2/MATE artifact in mind)
  • Cystatin C-based eGFR when true GFR matters
  • CBC for anemia/thrombocytopenia (and to flag possible TMA)

Key trials & series

  • Bruin et al. olaparib creatinine vs cystatin C study (mechanistic, 2021)
  • SOLO-1 (first-line maintenance in BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer; safety dataset)

Clinical pearls

  • Olaparib’s creatinine rise is an OCT2/MATE transporter artifact - check cystatin C before assuming true GFR loss.
  • Use cystatin C-based eGFR when dosing other renally cleared drugs in olaparib-treated patients.
  • A creatinine rise with new hemolysis/thrombocytopenia is not the artifact - work up for TMA.

Anticancer mechanism

Inhibits poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1/2), trapping PARP on DNA single-strand breaks and exploiting synthetic lethality in homologous-recombination-deficient (e.g., BRCA1/2-mutated) tumors. Used in ovarian, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.

Note

The hallmark creatinine rise is a transporter (OCT2/MATE) artifact, not true nephrotoxicity; TMA is rare.

Guidelines & consensus

Each recommendation below is this atlas's faithful summary of the source, not a quotation from it — follow the PubMed link for the wording the society published. Summaries may be superseded; consult the current full text and individualize to the patient.

  • ADQI (2026) — The nephrotoxic effects of anti-cancer therapies: consensus report of the 34th Acute Disease Quality Initiative workgroupProvides expert-based statements (modified Delphi) on preventing and managing cisplatin/platinum-associated AKI, including isotonic IV hydration, attention to volume status and concomitant nephrotoxins, and incorporates evidence that IV magnesium supplementation may reduce cisplatin-associated AKI; emphasizes risk stratification and standardized AKI definitions.Nat Rev Nephrol · PMID 41361704
  • SIRM (2022) — SIRM-SIN-AIOM: appropriateness criteria for evaluation and prevention of renal damage in the patient undergoing contrast medium examinations-consensus statements from Italian College of Radiology (SIRM), Italian College of Nephrology (SIN) and Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM)Recommends eGFR-based renal risk assessment and pre/post-contrast isotonic saline or sodium bicarbonate hydration; advises maintaining a 5-7 day interval between iodinated contrast administration and cisplatin in cancer patients to reduce additive nephrotoxicity.Radiol Med · PMID 35303246
  • KDIGO (2020) — KDIGO Controversies Conference on onco-nephrology: understanding kidney impairment and solid-organ malignancies, and managing kidney cancerIdentifies platinum compounds (especially cisplatin) as leading cytotoxic causes of acute tubular injury, AKI, and electrolyte/magnesium wasting; calls for interdisciplinary onco-nephrology care, accurate GFR estimation, and individualized drug dosing in patients with reduced kidney function.Kidney Int · PMID 33126977
  • KDIGO (2020) — KDIGO Controversies Conference on onco-nephrology: kidney disease in hematological malignancies and the burden of cancer after kidney transplantationAddresses chemotherapy-associated AKI/CKD in hematologic cancer, GFR estimation and chemotherapy dosing in patients with reduced kidney function, and management priorities and research gaps for onco-nephrology care.Kidney Int · PMID 33276867
  • ADDIKD (2025) — Integrating International Consensus Guidelines for Anticancer Drug Dosing in Kidney Dysfunction (ADDIKD) into everyday practiceProvides GRADE-based, drug-specific dose-adjustment recommendations for anticancer agents in kidney dysfunction (illustrated for methotrexate, cisplatin, carboplatin and nivolumab); the recommendations build on Part 1's standardised CKD-EPI eGFR assessment rather than Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance.EClinicalMedicine · PMID 40290844
  • ADDIKD (2025) — Aligning kidney function assessment in patients with cancer to global practices in internal medicineThree consensus recommendations: assess kidney function by GFR (measured GFR or CKD-EPI eGFR), classify it using KDIGO categories, and use this uniform approach to dose anticancer drugs — moving cancer medicine away from Cockcroft-Gault estimated creatinine clearance.EClinicalMedicine · PMID 40290845
  • ADDIKD (2025) — A methodology for determining dosing recommendations for anticancer drugs in patients with reduced kidney functionEstablishes that, where RCT evidence is lacking, anticancer drug dosing recommendations in kidney dysfunction should be derived by critically appraising observational literature via GRADE combined with structured international multidisciplinary consensus voting.EClinicalMedicine · PMID 40290846
  • KDIGO (2013) — Diagnosis, evaluation, and management of acute kidney injury: a KDIGO summary (Part 1)Defines/stages AKI by serum creatinine and urine output; emphasizes avoiding nephrotoxins, maintaining euvolemia/perfusion, dose-adjusting drugs to kidney function, and monitoring high-risk patients — the framework applied to nephrotoxic anti-cancer agents.Crit Care · PMID 23394211
  • KDIGO (2024) — Executive summary of the KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease: known knowns and known unknownsEvaluate and risk-stratify CKD, manage to delay progression and its complications, and practise explicit medication management and drug stewardship — the framework the atlas's G1–G5 eGFR banding and every renal dose-adjustment recommendation sit inside. Because the guideline excludes dialysis and transplant recipients by its own statement of scope, its recommendations do not carry to those settings, where this atlas's dialyzability and post-transplant guidance rests on other sources.Kidney Int · PMID 38519239
  • KDIGO (2021) — Executive summary of the KDIGO 2021 Guideline for the Management of Glomerular DiseasesProvides the staging/treatment framework for drug-associated glomerular lesions (e.g., bisphosphonate- and interferon-related collapsing FSGS, VEGF-inhibitor podocytopathy/proteinuria), including immunosuppression and supportive RAAS-blockade strategies.Kidney Int · PMID 34556300
  • KDIGO (2024) — Executive summary of the KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of ANCA-Associated VasculitisUpdates immunosuppressive induction (rituximab/cyclophosphamide), incorporates avacopan and lower-dose or glucocorticoid-sparing regimens — the management framework for drug- and checkpoint-inhibitor-associated ANCA/pauci-immune glomerulonephritis.Kidney Int · PMID 38388147
  • KDIGO (2024) — Executive summary of the KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Lupus NephritisUpdates first-line lupus nephritis therapy to combination immunosuppression with the addition of belimumab or a calcineurin inhibitor (voclosporin) — informs management of immune-complex/lupus-like glomerulonephritis encountered with immunotherapy.Kidney Int · PMID 38182299
  • KDIGO (2025) — Executive summary of the KDIGO 2025 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN) and Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis (IgAV)Encourages liberal kidney biopsy and stricter proteinuria control (<0.5 g/d, ideally <0.3 g/d) with RAAS blockers, SGLT2 inhibitors, and targeted-release budesonide — the framework for IgA-dominant glomerular lesions, including those triggered by immune-modulating cancer therapy.Kidney Int · PMID 40975525

References

8 peer-reviewed references. Citation metadata via PubMed / NLM.

  1. 1.Kidney function in patients with ovarian cancer treated with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors.Gupta S et al. · J Natl Cancer Inst · 2023 · PMID 37074956
  2. 2.PARP Inhibitors and the Risk of Serum Creatinine Elevation in Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Gąsowska-Bodnar A, et al · Cancers (Basel) · 2026 · PMID 42073552
  3. 3.A real or apparent decrease in glomerular filtration rate in patients using olaparib?Bruin MAC et al. · Eur J Clin Pharmacol · 2021 · PMID 33319340
  4. 4.Spotlight on olaparib in the treatment of BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer: design, development and place in therapy.Lorusso D et al. · Drug Des Devel Ther · 2018 · PMID 29881257
  5. 5.Olaparib First-Line Maintenance Monotherapy in BRCA-Mutated Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Descriptive Analysis of the First French Real-World Data Study.Bellier C et al. · Drugs Real World Outcomes · 2023 · PMID 36630055
  6. 6.Onconephrology: mitigation of renal injury in chemotherapy administration.Selamet U et al. · Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens · 2024 · PMID 38095483
  7. 7.New drug toxicities in the onco-nephrology world.Perazella MA et al. · Kidney Int · 2015 · PMID 25671763
  8. 8.Pharmacological nephrotoxicity profile in a comprehensive cancer center: What changed in two decades and predictors for the need for haemodialysis and mortality.Ferreira A et al. · Nefrologia (Engl Ed) · 2025 · PMID 40783302
Educational monograph from NephTox (nephtox.com). Not medical advice — verify against current guidelines before any clinical decision.