In brief
A daily pill called daraxonrasib, sold as Rasonque, has been approved by the FDA after a late‑stage trial of 500 patients showed an average survival of 13.2 months versus 6.6 months for standard chemotherapy. The drug works by shutting down the mutated KRAS gene, which drives about 90% of pancreatic tumours. The breakthrough was granted after it demonstrated a 60% improvement in overall survival, a rarity for this aggressive cancer. Side‑effects were more tolerable than chemotherapy, with only 44% of patients experiencing severe reactions compared to 57.5% on chemo. This approval offers a new hope for patients facing one of the world's deadliest cancers.
US drug agency approves breakthrough treatment for pancreatic cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved daraxonrasib (brand name Rasonque), a daily pill that nearly doubles overall survival for pancreatic cancer patients.
The drug, produced by Revolution Medicines, targets the mutated KRAS gene found in over 90% of pancreatic tumours. In a phase‑III trial with 500 patients, those who took the pill lived an average of 13.2 months, compared with 6.6 months for those receiving standard chemotherapy.
Key clinical outcomes
- Overall survival increased by 100%
- Reduced tumour spread by shutting off KRAS signalling
- Severe side‑effects in 44% of patients, versus 57.5% for chemotherapy
- Common side‑effects: rash, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue, vomiting
- Early approval received “Breakthrough Therapy” designation and was approved six months ahead of schedule
The FDA remarks this drug is “a critical new option for patients facing an extraordinarily difficult and historically hard‑to‑treat cancer”. With roughly 67,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S., it could significantly change outcomes for a disease with the highest mortality rate among major cancers.
Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, diagnosed with stage‑IV pancreatic cancer, is in a clinical trial and reports tumour shrinkage. The approval offers renewed hope in a field where more than half of patients die within three months of diagnosis.
