New Pill Doubles Pancreatic Cancer Survival Time
A daily experimental pill targeting a common mutation offers hope for hundreds of Grand Rapids-area residents diagnosed with one of the deadliest cancers.
Daraxonrasib, a new daily pill, blocked a mutated KRAS protein and extended median survival to 13.2 months versus 6.7 months for chemo in a trial. Patients reported less pain and better quality of life. The FDA is expediting review, potentially bringing a gentler option to local clinics soon.
Each year, hundreds in Grand Rapids face a life-changing pancreatic cancer diagnosis. A breakthrough study offers something rare: hope. A daily pill called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time for patients with advanced disease that had stopped responding to chemo. It blocks a mutated KRAS protein, the engine behind 90% of pancreatic tumors.
In a trial of 500 patients, those on the pill lived a median 13.2 months versus 6.7 months on standard chemo. That means more time—less pain and a better daily life, according to the patients themselves.
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The pill isn't a cure, and side effects like rash and mouth sores are real. But the FDA is fast-tracking review, and it could soon be available here. Researchers say the next step is testing it earlier in the disease. For now, it's a quiet, long-awaited win for anyone who's been touched by this cancer.
