US drug agency approves breakthrough treatment for pancreatic cancer
Experts have hailed the drug, daraxonrasib, as a game changer for one of the world's deadliest cancers.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a groundbreaking treatment for pancreatic cancer, a disease with the highest mortality rate among major cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. The drug, daraxonrasib, sold under the brand name Rasonque, was manufactured by Revolution Medicines and showed promising results in a late-stage clinical trial involving 500 patients.
Those who took the daily pill experienced an average survival time of 13.2 months, compared to 6.6 months for those on chemotherapy. Daraxonrasib works by targeting the mutated KRAS gene, which is present in over 90% of pancreatic tumors, effectively halting cancer growth. This breakthrough treatment has been granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA, indicating its potential to provide significant relief for patients facing an exceptionally challenging and historically difficult-to-treat cancer.
Despite common side effects such as rash, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting, the drug was approved six months earlier than the regulatory deadline due to its unprecedented results in an area of high unmet need. Former US Senator Ben Sasse, diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, is participating in a clinical trial for the drug, which has reportedly helped shrink his tumors.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
