The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted expedited approval to Revolution Medicines' new drug, daraxonrasib (brand name: Rasonque). This first-of-its-kind pill treats advanced pancreatic cancer by blocking the mutated KRAS protein. This protein drives more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.
A study of 500 patients showed the daily pill nearly doubled median survival time compared to standard chemotherapy. Patients taking Rasonque lived a median of 13.2 months. The chemotherapy group lived a median of 6.7 months.
The FDA issued the approval more than six months ahead of its target date. This decision addresses the urgent need for new treatments for one of the deadliest forms of cancer.