Beyond the 806
FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival - AP News
The FDA approved daraxonrasib Wednesday, a first-of-its-kind daily pill for advanced pancreatic cancer that nearly doubled survival time in study patients compared to existing treatments. Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers diagnosed in the United States, and for decades drugmakers could not crack the mutation driving more than 90 percent of cases.
Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers diagnosed in the United States, and for decades drugmakers could not crack the mutation driving more than 90 percent of cases. Daraxonrasib works by blocking a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth, an approach researchers had chased without success for years. The FDA gave the drug expedited approval.
Revolution Medicines will sell the pill under the brand name Rasonque. Beyond the survival benefit, patients in the study also reported fewer severe side effects than those seen with older treatment options, which matters enormously for people already dealing with one of the hardest diagnoses a doctor can deliver.
For anyone in Lubbock or across the South Plains who has watched a family member or neighbor face pancreatic cancer, this approval means there is now a new option on the table when the disease has advanced. It is not a cure, but doubling survival time is a significant shift in what doctors can offer.
Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of about 13 percent, one of the lowest of any cancer type.
Common questions
What is daraxonrasib and how does it work?
- Daraxonrasib is a daily pill that blocks a mutated protein responsible for fueling tumor growth in pancreatic cancer. It targets the mutation driving more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancer cases, an approach researchers had pursued for years without success until now.
How much does daraxonrasib improve survival compared to current treatments?
- In study patients, daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time compared to existing treatments. Patients also reported fewer severe side effects than those seen with older options, which is a significant quality-of-life benefit for people already managing advanced cancer.
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