Experimental pill helps people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers say
A researcher points towards a pancreatic cancer cell on a micrograph displayed on a screen at the Inserm ART-RNAm laboratory of the CHR (Regional Hospital Centre), in Orleans, central France, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by Jean-Francois Monier/ AFP
An experimental pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday.
The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.
Pancreatic cancer pill
Big picture view:
The drug is called daraxonrasib and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.
It's not a cure, as the drug's effects eventually waned, but researchers and other doctors believe the drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment.
What they're saying:
Dr. Zev Wainberg of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study, said this "is a very large step forward."
Dr. Brian Wolpin of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who presented the findings Sunday, said the drug should become "a new standard of care."
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The backstory:
Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The five-year overall survival rate is 13%.
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Dig deeper:
Several notable famous figures who have died from pancreatic cancer include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alex Trebek, Alan Rickman, Aretha Franklin and Steve Jobs.
Daraxonrasib
Big picture view:
Daraxonrasib is taken in the form of a daily pill. Side effects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, Wolpin said.
By the numbers:
Those taking daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients.
What's next:
The Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug, according to The Associated Press. The drug is made by Revolution Medicines.
Meanwhile:
The FDA is allowing what’s called "expanded access" to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from research published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an American Society of Oncology meeting, as reported by The Associated Press. Background information was also taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.