TARGETED therapy for pancreatic cancer demonstrated encouraging survival outcomes in patients with advanced disease, raising hopes for a long awaited breakthrough in one of the deadliest tumour types.
Pan-RAS inhibitor targeted multiple RAS mutations in Phase I/II trial
Researchers reported that daraxonrasib, a pan-RAS inhibitor designed to target multiple RAS mutations, showed promising efficacy in previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDC).
More than 90% of PDAC tumours are driven by KRAS mutations, which were historically considered ‘undruggable’, yet chemotherapy is still considered the standard systemic treatment for many patients. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult malignancies to treat, however, recent advances in molecularly targeted therapies have renewed interest in RAS inhibition strategies.
Pancreatic cancer responses seen with daraxonrasib
In a Phase I/II clinical trial 168 patients with previously treated advanced RAS-mutant pancreatic cancer received once daily oral daraxonrasib at doses up to 300mg. The primary endpoint focused on safety, with tumour response and survival outcomes evaluated as secondary measures.
Researchers reported that approximately 30% of patients receiving the 300mg dose after one prior line of therapy achieved an objective tumour response. Around 90% experienced disease control with tumours either shrinking or stabilising during treatment. Median duration of response exceeded eight months in some patient groups.
Separate phase III topline data suggested median overall survival reached 13.2 months with daraxonrasib compared with 6.7 months for standard chemotherapy, demonstrating encouraging survival outcomes.
Adverse events reported and Phase III underway
Although promising, researchers noted that adverse event were common with rash, nausea, fatigue, and mucositis among the most frequently reported side effects. Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in approximately 30% of patients.
Daraxonrasib is currently being evaluated further in the ongoing phase III RASolute 302 trial, which directly compares the therapy with standard second-line chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Reference
Killock D. Pan-RAS inhibitor daraxonrasib shows promise in pancreatic cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2026. 14 May 2026. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40867955/. Date accessed: 15 May 2026.
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