New pancreatic cancer drug nearly doubles survival in landmark study

A new drug offers promising treatment for pancreatic cancer, long considered one of the deadliest cancers.

A recent study found the drug daraxonrasib improved survival rates for people with pancreatic cancer in comparison to chemotherapy treatment.

The landmark trial, which received a standing ovation during the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, is significant given the challenges in treating this type of cancer. It doesn’t usually present symptoms until the disease has advanced and already spread, limiting treatment options.

The trial produced several significant findings:

• While standard chemotherapy patients included in the study lived a median of 6.7 months, daraxonrasib patients lived a median of 13.2 months.
• The drug reduced the risk of death by approximately 60% compared with chemotherapy.
• Patients also experienced longer progression-free survival (time before the cancer worsened).

This drug is notable because it specifically targets a gene mutation called KRAS, which causes more than 90% of pancreatic cancers. The mutation essentially acts as an “on” switch, fueling cancer growth and spread. Daraxonrasib blocks KRAS signaling, making it one of the first therapies to effectively target the mutation.

“This is a major breakthrough for pancreatic cancer patients,” says Dr. Mousami Shah, an oncologist at Advocate Health Care. “The study showed longer survival, more time before the cancer progressed and a treatment that appears to be well-tolerated by most patients.”

The medication is currently under FDA review and is not yet widely available to treat pancreatic cancer. If approved, the medication could be offered as a possible treatment and would be taken daily as a 200 mg pill.

“We in the oncology community are excited to have a new option for our patients,” Dr. Shah says. “We hope the FDA approves and that the medication becomes available to our patients very soon.”

While daraxonrasib is not a cure, researchers say the results represent one of the most promising advances in pancreatic cancer treatment in recent years.

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