What is it prescribed for?
LIFYORLI is prescribed in combination with nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy for adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have already received one to three prior systemic treatment regimens, including at least one that contained bevacizumab. Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is a difficult-to-treat form of cancer that returns or worsens within a short time after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with this disease often have limited treatment options and poorer outcomes as the cancer becomes resistant to standard therapies. LIFYORLI is important because it introduces a completely new treatment approach that helps make chemotherapy work better against resistant cancer cells. The FDA approved LIFYORLI on March 25, 2026.
What is the name of the drug and what does it do?
The medication is LIFYORLI™ (relacorilant), an oral medicine taken together with the chemotherapy drug nab-paclitaxel. LIFYORLI is the first FDA-approved selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Instead of attacking cancer cells directly like chemotherapy, it changes how cancer cells respond to stress hormones in the body. This can make tumors more sensitive to chemotherapy treatment.
How does it work?
LIFYORLI blocks the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which responds to the hormone cortisol. In some cancers, cortisol can help tumors survive chemotherapy and continue growing.
By blocking this receptor, LIFYORLI helps:
- Increase cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapy
- Reduce tumor resistance to treatment
- Promote cancer cell death during chemotherapy
Unlike some older steroid-related medicines, relacorilant selectively targets the glucocorticoid receptor without significantly affecting other hormone receptors.
What did the research discover?
The approval of LIFYORLI was based on the large Phase 3 ROSELLA clinical trial, which included 381 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian-related cancers. Patients received either relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel alone.
Researchers found:
- Patients receiving LIFYORLI had longer progression-free survival
- Overall survival improved compared with chemotherapy alone
- Tumor control lasted longer in many patients
Median overall survival reached about 16 months in the relacorilant group compared with about 11.9 months in the chemotherapy-only group. These findings supported FDA approval and highlighted the drug’s potential for patients with resistant disease.
What are some of the side effects?
The most common side effects included:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Rash
- Decreased appetite
Laboratory abnormalities and more serious side effects included:
- Low neutrophil counts (neutropenia)
- Low platelet counts
- Low hemoglobin levels
- Severe infections
- Adrenal insufficiency
Because the treatment affects cortisol signaling, patients require close medical monitoring during therapy.
What are the dosage recommendations and how is it prescribed?
LIFYORLI is taken by mouth once daily on the day before, the day of, and the day after each nab-paclitaxel infusion. The recommended dose is 150 mg during each treatment cycle. Treatment continues until the cancer worsens or side effects become too severe.
Doctors regularly monitor:
- Blood cell counts
- Signs of infection
- Adrenal function
- Chemotherapy side effects
Patients should not take LIFYORLI with systemic glucocorticoids used for life-saving purposes because the medicine blocks steroid activity.
Source:
LIFYORLI™ (relacorilant) capsules, for oral use [prescribing information]. Redwood City (CA): Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated; 2026. Available from: https://corcept.com/wp-content/uploads/Lifyorli_PI.pdf. Accessed by: June 6, 2026.
