Experimental Pill Daraxonrasib Nearly Doubles Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Trial
An experimental pill called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in a clinical trial, marking a significant advance for a deadly disease. The drug targets a mutated protein previously considered "undruggable" and reduced the risk of death by 60% compared to chemotherapy.
A novel pill called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in a randomized clinical trial, offering a major advance in treating one of the deadliest cancers. The drug blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.
In the study, 500 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer that had stopped responding to prior treatment were randomly assigned to take the daily pill or receive chemotherapy. Those taking daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients, reducing the risk of death by 60%. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting.
Patients on daraxonrasib experienced fewer severe side effects, primarily a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, and reported less pain and better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Recipients used the drug for significantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, and many were still using it after data analysis, meaning the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.
The drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family, specifically KRAS mutations that are critical in fueling pancreatic cancer but were long considered "undruggable." Daraxonrasib uses what’s essentially a "molecular glue" to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Researchers plan to explore whether it works better in certain subtypes and to test its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.
The study was funded by maker Revolution Medicines, and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. The FDA is also allowing "expanded access" to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria, and oncologists have been flooded with requests as the special access program begins. The drug garnered public attention after a former U.S. senator described taking it and experiencing less pain.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms, often detected after it spreads to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The five-year overall survival rate is 13%.
Cancer specialists expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development. Researchers said the drug should become "a new standard of care" for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer.