IT·Science Talk

Pancreatic cancer pill approved: big step, but read the numbers carefully

The FDA approval of daraxonrasib is genuinely historic. KRAS mutations were called “undruggable” for decades, and the drug blocks a protein that drives more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.

But I think it's worth being precise. In the study, median survival was 13.2 months versus 6.7 on chemotherapy, in patients whose cancer had already spread and stopped responding. That roughly doubles survival, which is huge for this disease, but it is not a cure. The study was company-funded and the price is not known yet.

Both things can be true: big step, and still a long road.