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US Cancer Centers Report Surge in Requests for Experimental Pancreatic Cancer Drug
US cancer centers are seeing increased patient requests for daraxonrasib following positive clinical trial results that showed doubled survival rates for advanced pancreatic cancer. The FDA approved an expanded access program for the drug on 1 May, three weeks after the developer announced the trial outcomes. The once-daily pill targets a mutation present in about 90 percent of pancreatic cancers.
May 14, 6:22 AM·2m read1 source
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US cancer centers are grappling with an influx of patient requests for the experimental pancreatic cancer drug daraxonrasib after the developer reported promising clinical trial results. The FDA approved an expanded access program for the drug on 1 May, three weeks after the company announced that its once-daily pill had doubled survival rates in a trial for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
This form of cancer is known for its aggressive nature and one of the lowest five-year survival rates. The company had sought permission from the FDA to provide the drug free of charge to patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer.
A medical oncologist at the Zuckerberg Cancer Center of Northwell Health said the public learned of the FDA announcement, which triggered a large number of patient requests. Oncologists have said that establishing and managing the program requires significant time and resources beyond normal operations.
The drug targets a genetic mutation present in approximately 90 percent of pancreatic cancers.
In the clinical trial, daraxonrasib extended median survival to 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for patients who received standard chemotherapy. A co-director of the pancreas center at Columbia/New York-Presbyterian said doubling survival compared with the best available chemotherapy is a significant result.
The same physician noted that in a decade-long career only one other experimental drug had prompted a compassionate use request, but seven patients inquired about daraxonrasib in a single recent day. A pancreas cancer specialist at City of Hope said patients are already aware of the press release and have begun calling clinics.
