New Pill Offers Hope for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new pill has been shown to extend the lives of those with advanced pancreatic cancer, researchers reported on Sunday. This breakthrough raises hope for improved treatments for one of the most lethal forms of cancer.

“It’s a significant advance, though it doesn’t cure the cancer,” noted Dr. Zev Wainberg from the University of California, Los Angeles, one of the study’s leaders.

The medication, named daraxonrasib, targets a mutated protein responsible for tumor growth in over 90% of pancreatic cancer cases–a challenge that has stumped treatments for years.

In a study involving 500 patients whose metastatic cancer had stopped responding to prior treatments, those on this daily pill lived a median of 13.2 months, compared to just 6.7 months for those receiving more chemotherapy. Remarkably, the pill had fewer severe side effects.

While the improvement might seem modest at first, Wainberg emphasized it’s the first drug to offer a notable benefit over traditional chemotherapy.

Dr. Rachna Shroff, from the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t part of the research, shared her emotional response, saying, “I actually started crying” upon seeing the results at the ASCO meeting.

She highlighted how patients found lasting benefits from the treatment, with many experiencing less pain and improved quality of life as their tumors shrank.

Even though the effects of the pills do eventually decrease, patients using daraxonrasib managed to remain on the treatment longer than those receiving chemotherapy. This could lead to a widening survival gap as research continues.

Dr. Brian Wolpin from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute shared these findings during the recent presentation.

Wolpin commented that this drug could become a “new standard of care” for metastatic pancreatic cancer, suggesting future exploration into its use at earlier stages of the disease to determine if it might allow more patients to qualify for surgery.

However, the drug’s side effects can include severe rashes and mouth sores, which may impact its use.

The study was financed by Revolution Medicines, and the FDA plans to fast-track the review process. Meanwhile, the agency is implementing an “expanded access” program for eligible patients to try the experimental drug.

The drug gained public attention when former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse discussed experiencing less pain while taking it during a segment on “60 Minutes.”

With the special access program kicking off, oncologists are already fielding numerous requests.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers due to its difficulty in detection before it metastasizes. The American Cancer Society projects around 67,000 new diagnoses in the U.S. this year, with over 52,000 deaths anticipated from the disease. The overall five-year survival rate stands at a bleak 13%.

Unlike other cancers that have various chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has proven particularly tough to fight. Experts not associated with the current research expressed optimism that this could signal a turning point in the search for new treatment options, with many experimental drugs in the pipeline.

The new medication focuses on mutations within the RAS gene family, crucial for regulating cell growth. Specifically, KRAS mutations are pivotal in driving pancreatic cancer, which has long been deemed “undruggable” due to a structure that complicates the binding of treatment drugs.

Revolution Medicines’ drug employs a kind of molecular adhesive to connect with several KRAS subtypes. Wainberg noted that further investigations will look into whether the drug might be more effective against certain variations.

Dr. Andrew Coveler from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, not involved in this study, remarked on the potential impact of the drug, saying, “This works drastically differently.” He mentioned that other drugs targeting specific KRAS subtypes are also in development.

Other strategies currently being tested include vaccines aimed at preventing cancer recurrence post-surgery by training the immune system to recognize the mutated proteins.

The findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine and shared on Sunday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.