Pancreatic Cancer Drug Daraxonrasib Nearly Doubles Survival in Major Trial, Drawing Standing Ovation at ASCO
A drug called daraxonrasib nearly doubled median overall survival in a 500-patient Phase 3 trial of previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, extending it from roughly 6.7 months to 13.2 months compared to chemotherapy. The results, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting on May 31, 2026, target KRAS — a mutation present in over 90% of pancreatic tumors that had long been considered 'undruggable.' The findings represent the most significant survival advance in metastatic pancreatic cancer in years and are expected to prompt an FDA approval submission, though the drug does not cure the disease.
Daraxonrasib, developed by Revolution Medicines, works not by binding directly to the mutant KRAS protein — whose smooth surface had resisted drug development for decades — but by attaching to a molecule called cyclophilin A, which then forms a complex capable of shutting down KRAS signaling. In the Phase 3 trial of 500 patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, the drug reduced the risk of death by 60% compared to standard chemotherapy. Side effects were common, most notably a skin rash affecting more than 86% of patients, along with mouth sores, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting; however, patients on daraxonrasib were less likely to discontinue treatment due to severe side effects and reported improved quality of life. The presentation by Harvard oncologist Brian Wolpin at ASCO drew a 42-second standing ovation from attendees, with leading oncologists describing the result as a 'grand slam' and 'game changer.' Despite the excitement, experts caution that daraxonrasib does not cure pancreatic cancer — median survival remains just over a year — and the drug still awaits FDA review before it can reach patients. The announcement came amid a broader wave of cancer research advances, including glycoengineered CAR-T cells designed to survive the hostile tumor microenvironment, a UCLA-identified synthetic lethality vulnerability in RB-deficient small cell cancers, and early data on mRNA cancer vaccines and GLP-1 drugs reducing cancer incidence.
What's missing
The trial data covers patients who had received prior treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer; it is not yet clear how daraxonrasib performs in first-line or earlier-stage settings. Long-term durability of the survival benefit beyond the trial period and the drug's efficacy in KRAS-wild-type pancreatic cancers (roughly 10% of cases) are not addressed in the sources. The cost of daraxonrasib and its likely accessibility for patients, particularly in lower-income countries, is not discussed.
How coverage differed
Science Daily and Deutsche Welle both reported the daraxonrasib findings factually, but DW placed greater emphasis on expert caution — quoting a physician who said even 'promising' was too strong a word — while Science Daily, written from the perspective of a gastrointestinal oncologist, was more optimistic about the drug's near-term clinical impact. Vox framed the story within a broader narrative of cancer progress while also raising concerns about Trump administration cuts to NIH and NSF funding as a threat to future advances, a political angle absent from the other outlets.
What different sources said
- VoxLeft
The most hopeful cancer news in years
- Medical XpressCenter
New antibody may boost KRAS-targeted lung cancer treatment after resistance emerges
- Science DailyCenter
Scientists finally crack an “undruggable” pancreatic cancer target and nearly double survival
- Deutsche WelleCenter
Pancreatic cancer: New drug extends lives but isn't a cure
- SciTechDailyCenter
UCLA Scientists Uncover a “Hidden Weakness” in Some of the World’s Deadliest Cancers
- The ConversationCenter
Killing cancer requires immune cells to infiltrate tumors’ hostile microenvironment – sugar shields can help them break in
- Hacker NewsCenter
CRISPR Tech Selectively Shreds Cancer Cells, Including "Undruggable" Cancers
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