The Big Picture
Intermountain Health oncologists say a new targeted therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer could be a “game changer” for patients facing one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-treat cancers.
The investigational oral drug, daraxonrasib, is designed to target KRAS mutations — genetic drivers found in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers. In recent clinical trial results, the drug nearly doubled median survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, increasing survival from 6.7 months to 13.2 months.
“This is a true paradigm shift in how we treat pancreatic cancer,” said Mark Lewis, MD, director of gastrointestinal oncology at Intermountain Health. “I can’t remember the last time I saw such a positive leap forward in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.”
What’s Happening
Ten Intermountain Health hospitals in Utah, Colorado, and Montana are participating in a national Expanded Access Protocol that allows eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer to receive daraxonrasib before the drug receives broader commercial availability.
The participating hospitals are:
- Intermountain Alta View Hospital, Sandy, Utah
- Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah
- Intermountain Layton Hospital, Layton, Utah
- Intermountain LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Intermountain Lutheran Hospital, Wheat Ridge, Colorado
- Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden, Utah
- Intermountain Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colorado
- Intermountain St. Mary’s Hospital, Grand Junction, Colorado
- Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, St. George, Utah
- Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital, Billings, Montana
The Expanded Access Protocol serves as a bridge between strong clinical evidence and full FDA approval. Dr. Lewis said Revolution Medicines submitted its new drug application to the FDA on July 22, and approval could come in the months ahead.
For now, eligible patients must be approved through the protocol and monitored by their oncologist. Intermountain Health officials said nine patients in the system were already in the queue to receive the medication.
Why It Matters
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed late because early symptoms can be vague and there is no widely used screening test. By the time many patients are diagnosed, the cancer has already spread or can no longer be removed surgically.
About 67,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, and more than 52,000 die from the disease annually, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Until now, treatment options for metastatic pancreatic cancer have been limited, often requiring intravenous chemotherapy every two weeks for the rest of a patient’s life. Daraxonrasib offers a different approach: a daily pill that targets the mutation driving the cancer.
Dr. Lewis said the treatment is not a cure and can cause side effects, including rash, diarrhea, and mouth sores. But for many patients, he said, the potential benefits include more time, fewer trips for infusion treatment, and a more targeted approach to care.
“The fact this is in pill form, I think one of the things it does is minimize time toxicity,” Dr. Lewis said. “The other thing it does, frankly, on a very elegant level, is it actually targets the mutation that’s driving the cancer.”
The Bottom Line
Intermountain Health oncologists say daraxonrasib represents a major step forward for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer — offering new hope in a disease where treatment progress has been limited for decades.
The drug is not yet FDA approved, and it is currently available only to eligible patients through the Expanded Access Protocol. But oncologists say the results so far are encouraging and could mark the beginning of a new era of targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer.
“This is about more than a new drug — it’s about giving patients more time and more options,” said Alicia Swink, MD, regional oncology senior medical director for Intermountain Health. “Seeing new advancements like this gives us — and our patients — real hope.”