A new pill has been found to almost double the survival time for advanced pancreatic cancer patients. The drug, called daraxonrasib, helps prevent the spread of cancer.

A pill called daraxonrasib has been found to almost double the survival time for advanced pancreatic cancer patients. The trial included 500 patients in North America, Europe, and Asia. Experts describe the trial as a game changer.

Trial results

The trial found the average survival time for patients on chemotherapy was 6.6 months, compared with 13.2 months for patients on daraxonrasib. It also caused fewer side-effects. Severe side-effects were experienced by 43.6% of patients on daraxonrasib compared to 57.5% on chemotherapy.

Disease impact

Pancreatic cancer is often spotted late and is notoriously difficult to treat. More than half of people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis. There are 11,500 diagnoses of the disease in Britain each year and around 10,200 deaths, according to Cancer Research UK.

Key points

• The pill, daraxonrasib, helps prevent the spread of cancer by locking onto and shutting off the mutated KRAS gene.
• The trial included 500 patients in North America, Europe, and Asia.
• The average survival time for patients on chemotherapy was 6.6 months, compared with 13.2 months for patients on daraxonrasib.
• Severe side-effects were experienced by 43.6% of patients on daraxonrasib compared to 57.5% on chemotherapy.
• More than half of people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis.
• There are 11,500 diagnoses of the disease in Britain each year and around 10,200 deaths.