US cancer centres have been flooded with requests for the experimental therapy daraxonrasib after the drug delivered strong phase 3 trial results last month.
The late-stage study, run by Revolution Medicines, found the drug doubled survival in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an advanced form of pancreatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
Surge in patient demand
After the trial results were released, Dr Daniel King, medical oncologist at the Zuckerberg Cancer Center of Northwell Health, told Reuters there had been “a deluge of patient requests” for the therapy. Other centres have reported similar levels of interest.
As a result, the FDA has allowed daraxonrasib to be provided through compassionate use programmes for patients with metastatic PDAC, giving more people early access to the treatment ahead of formal approval.
In the UK and Europe, however, patients would still need to enrol in a clinical trial to receive the drug. At present, Revolution is not recruiting patients in these regions for this indication, though more studies should begin soon.
New first-line study launched
One US-based trial exploring whether daraxonrasib could be used earlier in the treatment of metastatic PDAC is already under way. Unlike the phase 3 trial that recently delivered positive results, the new study will test the drug as a first-line therapy.
Researchers hope the trial will show whether using the drug earlier, either alone or alongside chemotherapy, can further improve survival for patients with advanced disease.
The study is now active at three US centres, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and is expected to expand globally in the coming months.
A big moment
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to treat, with few good options once the disease has spread. As a result, the potential approval of daraxonrasib could mark a major step forward for patients.
The treatment has also been granted orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency, which could help speed up its path towards approval in Europe in the next year or two.
