Experimental pill promises new hope for deadly pancreatic cancer

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
Updated 7:05 AM CDT, May 31, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side effects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pancreatic-cancer-daraxonrasib-chemotherapy-kras-62537cbc43c5286edb4c00806dc1c2de

[cstanleytech]

1. Great news and long overdue.

[twodogsbarking]

2. Science can defeat cancer and other deadly diseases like DJT, and RFKjr.

[Ziggysmom]

7. Oh that's a good one! I agree!

[Mawspam2]

3. Even though it is a pill, Brain Worm Bob will claim it causes Autism and deny its use.

[dlk]

4. Any small hope is a wonderful thing for this deadly disease

It is a stepping stone forward.

[FakeNoose]

5. This is hopeful for many pancreatic cancer victims ... Hooray for science!

[uppityperson]

6. Great news. Pancreatic cancer is an awful type of cancer

I've known too many friends and patients who suffered in pain and died from it.

[Karasu]

8. Fascists need to get out of the fucking way. This needs to be available to all people.