New Cancer Pill Nearly Doubles Survival in Trial

A pill that goes after one of the toughest cancers just delivered what one doctor called "truly transformational" results for patients. Revolution Medicines said on Monday that its drug daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time in a late-stage trial, with patients living a median 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months on standard chemotherapy, reports CNBC. The company reported a 60% reduction in the risk of death and said the drug hit all main and secondary goals in patients whose disease had already worsened on other treatments. CEO Mark Goldsmith called the data "practice-changing" and said the company will quickly seek FDA approval, using a priority voucher that could speed the review to a matter of months. Pancreatic cancer has just a 13% five-year survival rate, the lowest of any major cancer.

Daraxonrasib targets RAS mutations, which fuel tumors in about 90% of pancreatic cancers. For years, RAS was thought to be "undruggable," notes the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Side effects include a frequently seen skin rash that doctors say is usually manageable, per CNBC. "For patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, new treatment options are urgently needed to increase survival time and improve quality of life," Harvard medicine professor Brian Wolpin said in a release, per OncLive. Full trial data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting, while a second Phase 3 trial in newly diagnosed patients is underway, per CNBC. Investors have taken notice: Revolution's shares jumped more than 30% following the news, pushing its market value above $26 billion. (Former Sen. Ben Sasse recently talked about how he's handling his own Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.)