New Drug Offers Unexpected Survival Boost for Pancreatic Cancer

WHO:

NDTV - Dr. Shubham Pant, M.D., Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, co-author of the study on Daraxonrasib.

WHAT:

NDTV - Daraxonrasib, a once-daily pill, has been found to double survival among patients with advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer.

NDTV - The findings were presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

NDTV - 90% of pancreatic cancers are driven by the KRAS mutation, which is considered undruggable.

NDTV - The main side effect of Daraxonrasib is a rash in about 90% of patients, with 10 to 15% experiencing a grade three rash.

WHERE:

NDTV - The study was conducted at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and the findings were presented at the ASCO meeting.

WHEN:

NDTV - The 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) took place in 2026.

NDTV - A consecutive trial called RASolute 303 has already started.

WHY:

NDTV - The drug targets the "undruggable" KRAS mutation, which has historically been difficult to treat, leading to high mortality rates in pancreatic cancer.

HOW:

NDTV - Daraxonrasib functions as a multiselective inhibitor that can address a broader variety of RAS-driven tumors.

NDTV - The drug acts like a molecular glue, targeting RAS proteins that drive tumor growth and survival.

NDTV - Researchers are randomizing patients in the RASolute 303 trial to receive Daraxonrasib as a single agent and in combination with the chemotherapy Gem Nab-paclitaxel.

(UPDATED June 6, 2026 11:21 UTC)

A groundbreaking study co-authored by Dr. Shubham Pant from the Anderson Cancer Center has revealed that Daraxonrasib, a once-daily pill, can double survival rates for patients with advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer, a condition primarily driven by the notoriously difficult KRAS mutation. These findings were presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlighting that while 90% of patients may experience a rash as a side effect, a new trial called RASolute 303 is already underway to further explore the drug's effectiveness. Daraxonrasib works as a multiselective inhibitor, acting like a molecular glue to target RAS proteins that contribute to tumor growth, and patients in the trial will receive it either alone or alongside the chemotherapy Gem Nab-paclitaxel.