An experimental oral drug called daraxonrasib roughly doubled overall survival for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in a Phase 3 clinical trial [1].
This development is significant because pancreatic cancer typically has a very low five-year survival rate [1, 4]. The new treatment targets a specific driver mutation found in most pancreatic tumors to improve patient outcomes [4].
The trial, which included sites across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, found that the drug provided overall survival approximately two times longer than standard chemotherapy [1, 5]. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, daraxonrasib is administered as a once-daily oral pill [4].
Researchers said that the drug also presented a reduced severe adverse-effect profile compared to chemotherapy [1]. This suggests that patients may experience fewer of the debilitating side effects often associated with standard cancer treatments.
The results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2024 [1, 3]. The drug functions as a KRAS-G12C inhibitor, meaning it blocks a specific protein that helps cancer cells grow and divide [1, 2].
Medical specialists in Canada said they plan to open clinical trials for the pill following these results [5]. The international scope of the trial provides a broad data set on how the drug performs across different patient populations [5].
“Overall survival was roughly doubled compared with standard chemotherapy”
The success of daraxonrasib represents a shift toward precision medicine in oncology. By targeting the KRAS-G12C mutation rather than using broad-spectrum chemotherapy, clinicians can potentially increase life expectancy while reducing the toxicity of the treatment. If these results lead to widespread regulatory approval, it could establish a new standard of care for advanced pancreatic cancer patients who previously had very limited options.
