Experimental Pancreatic Cancer Drug Shows Survival Benefit in Major Trial - Video

A long-awaited breakthrough may finally be emerging against one of the deadliest cancers.

Researchers have reported that an experimental drug called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, offering fresh hope for a disease that has long had limited treatment options. The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers because it is often diagnosed only after it has spread beyond the pancreas. Survival rates for advanced disease remain poor, and treatment options after first-line chemotherapy are limited.

The global Phase 3 clinical trial enrolled 500 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had progressed after an initial round of chemotherapy. Participants who received daraxonrasib achieved a median overall survival of 13.2 months, compared with 6.7 months among those treated with standard chemotherapy. The drug also reduced the risk of death by 60%.

Daraxonrasib is an oral targeted therapy designed to block RAS proteins, a family of cancer-driving molecules involved in the growth and spread of most pancreatic tumors

Experts say the results represent one of the most significant advances seen in metastatic pancreatic cancer in years. Beyond extending survival, the treatment appeared to help patients maintain a better quality of life with fewer symptoms and side effects than conventional chemotherapy.

For some participants, the benefits were dramatic. One patient reported that a tumor that had spread from the pancreas to the liver shrank by 50% after starting treatment. Another patient experienced a 40% reduction in tumor size while keeping the primary pancreatic tumor stable, allowing her to focus on spending time with family and planning for the future.

Although daraxonrasib has not yet received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, regulators have already authorized an expanded access program for eligible patients. If approved, researchers believe the drug could mark a major shift in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer, offering patients longer survival and improved quality of life.

REFERENCE: ileen M. O’Reilly, M.D., Zev A. Wainberg, M.D., Andrew E. Hendifar, M.D., Mitesh J. Borad, M.D., Filippo Pietrantonio, M.D., Shubham Pant, M.D., Pascal Hammel, M.D; Daraxonrasib or Chemotherapy in Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer; New England Journal of Medicine; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2605555