New Oral Drug Daraxonrasib Nearly Doubles Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
On May 31, 2026, the New England Journal of Medicine published a clinical trial report on daraxonrasib, a new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, jointly conducted by a number of U.S. medical schools. The findings were also presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.
The clinical trial enrolled 500 patients with metastatic advanced pancreatic cancer for whom no other effective treatment existed. They were randomly divided into two groups: one group received the new drug daraxonrasib, while the other continued on chemotherapy. The results showed that median survival in the oral daraxonrasib group was extended from about 7 months to 13 months—nearly doubled. Median survival in the control chemotherapy group was only 6.7 months.
Dr. Zev Wainberg of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who participated in the study, noted that this is the first drug to show a clear advantage over chemotherapy in this type of patient.
Dr. Rachna Shroff of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, another investigator, said that in her 16 years of treating pancreatic cancer, she even wept when she first saw the results. She noted that many patients were able to continue treatment and derive lasting, meaningful benefit, with less pain and an improved quality of life.
Pancreatic cancer is known as the "king of cancers" and is one of the deadliest. Its early symptoms are subtle; most patients are already at an advanced stage when it is found, and so miss the chance of early curative surgery.
Over 90% of pancreatic cancers are associated with mutations such as KRAS (Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene). KRAS is a gene that regulates cell growth. Normally it sends growth signals to cells; but once mutated, it continuously drives cancer cell proliferation, and is therefore regarded as one of the most important oncogenic factors in pancreatic cancer. The new drug daraxonrasib adheres to these mutated proteins like a "molecular glue," cutting off the signals that sustain cancer cell growth.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already planned an expedited review and allowed eligible patients to obtain the drug in advance through an "expanded access" program. Experts believe this result also lends confidence to several similar drugs currently in development.
Note: Pancreatic cancer has long lacked a treatment with clearly established efficacy. The arrival of daraxonrasib is good news for pancreatic cancer patients. Though this drug cannot yet fundamentally cure pancreatic cancer, prolonging patients' survival is of positive significance. However, even in the United States this drug is still in the clinical trial stage, and it has not yet been introduced into China.