Experimental pancreatic cancer drug shows longer survival in trial

An experimental drug called daraxonrasib has shown promising results in a phase 3 trial for pancreatic cancer, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study compared the daily pill with standard chemotherapy in patients whose earlier treatment had not worked. Researchers reported that the drug slowed or reversed tumor progression in about a third of participants, compared with about 10% in the chemotherapy group. Median survival increased from less than seven months to roughly 13 months. Doctors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting described the findings as an important advance, while stressing that the drug is still considered a secondline treatment and not a cure. The drug works by targeting KRAS, a mutation found in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. Researchers said the results could also support future development of similar treatments for other cancers linked to RASfamily mutations. Daraxonrasib is not yet approved in Canada or the U.S., though U.S. patients may access it through an early program while regulatory reviews continue.