Pancreatic cancer drug extends survival in 500-patient trial

An oral medicine extended survival in a 500-patient trial involving people whose pancreatic cancer had spread and worsened after previous treatment. Median survival was 12.4 months with daraxonrasib, compared with 6.7 months with chemotherapy. The median time without the disease worsening was also longer: 7.2 months versus 3.6 months.

The findings underpin the European Medicines Agency’s recommendation to authorise the drug, known as Rasonque, for adults with pancreatic adenocarcinoma that has spread to other organs, after at least one previous treatment. For these patients, treatment options have been limited.

Daraxonrasib blocks proteins called RAS, which help control cell growth. Mutations can leave these proteins constantly active, encouraging tumours to grow. The medicine targets several RAS variants rather than just one specific mutation.

It is not a cure, and side effects remain a significant concern. Common problems included diarrhoea, skin rash and inflammation inside the mouth. Severe side effects affected 61.8% of patients receiving the drug, compared with 69.6% receiving chemotherapy.

The medicine is already approved in the United States, but European access is not yet assured. The European Commission must still grant marketing approval, followed by national pricing and funding decisions. The recommendation is an important step towards making a treatment with a demonstrated survival benefit available to more patients.