US drug agency approves breakthrough treatment for pancreatic cancer
Summary
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug called daraxonrasib to treat pancreatic cancer. In clinical trials, this pill nearly doubled patients’ average survival time compared to chemotherapy.Key Facts
- Daraxonrasib, sold as Rasonque, is made by Revolution Medicines.
- In a trial with 500 patients, those taking daraxonrasib lived on average 13.2 months versus 6.6 months for chemotherapy patients.
- The drug works by blocking a mutated gene called KRAS, which is common in over 90% of pancreatic tumors.
- Around 67,000 people in the US are diagnosed yearly with pancreatic cancer, a cancer that is hard to detect early and treat.
- Pancreatic cancer has the highest death rate among major cancers, with over half of patients dying within three months of diagnosis.
- The FDA gave the drug “Breakthrough Therapy” status in 2023 and approved it six months early due to its strong results.
- Common side effects include rash, diarrhea, nausea, tiredness, and vomiting.
- About 44% of patients on daraxonrasib had severe side effects, compared to 57.5% on chemotherapy.
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