New Pancreatic Cancer Drug Nearly Doubles Survival in Landmark Trial

A major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment unveiled at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting could mark a turning point for one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-treat cancers.

Researchers reported that an experimental targeted therapy, daraxonrasib, nearly doubled median survival for patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer from 6.7 months with chemotherapy to 13.2 months. The findings, published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine, represent the first substantial survival advantage over chemotherapy demonstrated in a large randomized trial for this patient population.

Why this matters:

• Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of just 13%.
• Approximately 67,000 Americans will be diagnosed this year, and more than 52,000 are expected to die from the disease.
• Patients receiving daraxonrasib reported less pain, better quality of life, and remained on treatment significantly longer than those receiving chemotherapy.
• The FDA has granted expedited review, and an expanded access program is already generating significant patient demand.

Sonal Paul is a medical oncologist and hematologist at the GW Cancer Center and has a strong background in clinical research and patient education. She is available for interviews on this topic.