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New pancreatic cancer drug called a 'game changer'
usatoday.com • • health
Key Points:
- The experimental pancreatic cancer drug daraxonrasib nearly doubled median survival to 13.2 months compared to 6.7 months with chemotherapy in a phase 3 clinical trial involving 500 patients, offering new hope for this deadly cancer.
- Daraxonrasib targets KRAS gene mutations present in over 90% of pancreatic cancers by blocking abnormal growth signals, but it is not a cure and is intended as a second-line treatment after cancer progression.
- The drug is now available to eligible patients at 10 Intermountain Health hospitals through the FDA's Expanded Access Protocol while full approval is pending, with nine patients already approved to receive it.
- Pancreatic cancer remains highly lethal due to late detection and limited treatment options, making the improved survival results from daraxonrasib especially significant for patients with advanced disease.
- Doctors emphasize the treatment offers more options and potentially longer, better-tolerated therapy compared to chemotherapy, though side effects like rash, diarrhea, and mouth sores can occur.
