FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival
The FDA has approved 'daraxonrasib', a new pill for advanced pancreatic cancer that has shown to nearly double survival times in clinical trials. The drug, branded as Rasonque, targets a specific mutated protein and represents a significant advancement in treatment.
Why it matters
It offers a breakthrough treatment option for one of the most lethal forms of cancer, though high costs remain a point of concern.
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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