New Drug Approved for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment in the US
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a new drug that doubled survival time in clinical trials.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the pancreatic cancer treatment named daraxonrasib, which nearly doubled patient survival time in clinical trials.
Clinical Trial Results
In the late-stage clinical trial involving five hundred patients, the average survival time for those taking the pill-form drug daily was determined to be 13.2 months.
In the same study, the average survival time for patients receiving chemotherapy was found to be 6.6 months.
Mechanism of Action of the Drug
Daraxonrasib targets the mutated KRAS gene, which is found in a large proportion of pancreatic tumors and triggers cancer development.
By deactivating this gene, the drug helps prevent the spread of cancer and offers a new option for difficult cases.
Status of Pancreatic Cancer
According to American Cancer Society data, approximately 67,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the US each year.
This type of cancer has the highest mortality rate among all major cancers and is usually diagnosed late.
FDA Approval Process
In 2025, the FDA had granted the drug Breakthrough Therapy status, which is given in cases requiring expedited review.
Agency officials granted approval without waiting for the regulatory deadline to expire due to the results seen in an area of unmet medical need.