A daily pill called daraxonrasib has been shown to double survival time for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, according to clinical trial results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) meeting in Chicago. Experts described the findings as a “gamechanger” and one of the biggest breakthroughs in decades.
The trial of 500 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer found that those taking the drug lived an average of 13.2 months, compared with 6.6 to 6.7 months for those receiving chemotherapy. The drug also had fewer side-effects than standard chemotherapy.
Daraxonrasib works by targeting the Kras protein, which fuels nearly all pancreatic cancers. It is a new type of Ras(On) multi-selective inhibitor that can shut down the protein regardless of the specific mutation. Dr Rachna Shroff from the University of Arizona Cancer Center said she wept when she saw the results, calling them “landscape-changing”.
Paula Hanford, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer Action, said the discovery was one of the most significant treatment developments she had ever seen. Anna Jewell from Pancreatic Cancer UK urged efforts to ensure the drug is made available to patients, noting that half of all people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis.
