FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival
The FDA has granted expedited approval to daraxonrasib, a new pill for advanced pancreatic cancer that targets a specific protein fueling tumor growth. Clinical trials showed that patients taking the drug nearly doubled their survival time compared to traditional chemotherapy.
Why it matters
This approval provides a significant, though not curative, treatment option for one of the most lethal forms of cancer, addressing a long-standing medical challenge.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, offering U.S. patients a more effective treatment against one of the deadliest types of cancer.
FDA officials gave expedited approval to the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, which blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It's an approach that previously eluded drugmakers for decades.
The daily pills will be sold by Revolution Medicines under the brand name Rasonque. A one-month supply would cost approximately $39,800, the company announced.
Patients taking the drug nearly doubled their survival time, with fewer severe side effects, in a study that randomly assigned them to receive the experimental treatment or more chemotherapy. The company-funded study enrolled 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment.
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