The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for pancreatic cancer that nearly doubles survival time in clinical trials.
The drug, daraxonrasib, sold under the brand name Rasonque and manufactured by Revolution Medicines, was approved after a late-stage trial with 500 patients showed an average survival time of 13.2 months for those taking the daily pill, compared to 6.6 months for those on chemotherapy. The FDA described the drug as providing a 'critical new option' for patients with a historically hard-to-treat cancer.
Daraxonrasib works by targeting the mutated KRAS gene, which is present in more than 90% of pancreatic tumours. The drug was approved six months ahead of the regulatory deadline due to its 'unprecedented results' in an area of high unmet need, according to the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence.
Why it matters
The approval offers a new treatment option for patients with pancreatic cancer, which has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.
What to watch
The long-term effectiveness and side effects of daraxonrasib in real-world use will be key indicators of its impact.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.