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.
