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New pancreatic cancer drug gives South Portland man hope for longer life
Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Telegram • • business
Key Points:
- Eugene Slobodzian, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January, experienced improved quality of life and tumor shrinkage after enrolling in an expanded access trial of the new drug daraxonrasib in July.
- The FDA recently approved daraxonrasib for pancreatic cancer, allowing doctors nationwide to prescribe it; the drug was fast-tracked due to its effectiveness and is expected to be widely available within two weeks.
- Clinical trials showed daraxonrasib doubled median survival from 6.7 months with chemotherapy to 13.2 months, targeting key proteins driving tumor growth, though it is not a cure.
- The drug has fewer and less severe side effects compared to chemotherapy, improving patients' quality of life by reducing treatment time and adverse symptoms.
- Oncologists in Maine, including Dr. Matthew Dugan, express strong optimism about daraxonrasib’s potential to extend life expectancy and anticipate it may soon be approved for use before chemotherapy.
