Daraxonrasib Shows Promise as a Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
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It’s rare to get a standing ovation at a scientific meeting. But at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the , thousands of doctors and researchers rose to their feet in the middle of a presentation about early results from a pancreatic cancer study.
“When we saw the survival results, the crowd erupted,” said Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, a pancreatic cancer expert at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. “The following Monday, my phone was ringing off the hook. Patients are excited about this drug, too.”
That’s because for the first time in decades, people with advanced pancreatic cancer have a new reason for hope. A known as RASolute 302, tested a new drug called daraxonrasib in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who had already tried chemotherapy. The trial compared daraxonrasib to standard chemotherapy. Results showed the typical survival time doubled for those taking daraxonrasib.
What is daraxonrasib?
Daraxonrasib is an experimental medicine that is not yet approved by the FDA. It’s still being studied in additional clinical trials and is taken in the form of a daily pill. This targeted therapy specifically turns off RAS proteins. Normally, RAS proteins help control cell growth. But when RAS is turned on abnormally, cells can grow out of control and form cancer. Daraxonrasib blocks RAS proteins from sending signals for cells to grow. About 90% of pancreatic cancers are linked to changes in RAS, as well as many other cancers, including some lung and colorectal cancers.
“Historically, targeting the RAS pathway has been considered the holy grail for cancer. If we can target and manipulate this pathway, the impact across a multitude of cancers is profound,” said Dr. Shroff.
For decades, scientists struggled to develop a targeted therapy that could turn off RAS. Its smooth surface gave medicines nothing to latch onto. Treatments could only block individual versions of RAS caused by specific gene mutations. However, these were not the mutations that cause pancreatic cancer most often.
Daraxonrasib found another way. Instead of attaching directly to RAS, it acts as a “molecular glue,” sticking together 2 unrelated proteins. First the drug binds to a helper protein. This creates a surface that can lock on to RAS and block it from sending growth signals.
Part of its promise is that daraxonrasib may attach to many versions of RAS, regardless of the specific mutation, and even if there is no mutation at all. Because of this wide reach, the drug is promising for many RAS-driven cancers.
What do the trial results mean for people with pancreatic cancer?
More studies and data are needed before daraxonrasib can be considered for full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But based on these study findings, daraxonrasib could become a new standard treatment for people with advanced pancreatic cancer who have tried other therapy.
“Daraxonrasib checks so many boxes. Not only do people live longer, but tumors also shrink more and patients feel better,” said Dr. Shroff.
The trial results are striking. Participants who got chemotherapy lived for about 6.7 months, while those who got daraxonrasib lived for about 13.2 months. “In the world of pancreatic cancer, this is unprecedented survival,” said Dr. Shroff.
Equally important is how patients feel on the drug. Chemotherapy kills both healthy and cancerous cells, which can cause severe side effects. Targeted therapies like daraxonrasib more specifically target and kill cancer cells. In studies so far, side effects from daraxonrasib have been fairly easy to manage. Rashes and mouth sores were most common in people who took the new drug.
During the trial, nearly 10 times more people getting chemotherapy chose to stop their treatment because of side effects compared to those taking daraxonrasib. Patients taking daraxonrasib also reported feeling better for longer. They went about twice as long before reporting pain or a lower quality of life.
When will daraxonrasib be available?
Daraxonrasib has been granted an accelerated FDA review under a new program called the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher. This program aims to review certain drug applications in 1 to 2 months, rather than the usual 10 to 12 months. The FDA accepted the new drug application for review on July 22, 2026, and a decision is expected later in 2026. However, people with advanced pancreatic cancer can get this medicine now through an expanded access program. Also known as compassionate use, this pathway lets patients receive a drug before official approval if they can’t join a clinical trial.
People who are interested in daraxonrasib should talk to their cancer doctor. The doctor has to apply to the drug manufacturer for patients who are eligible. Keep in mind that this new drug is an option mainly for people whose cancer has not responded well to their current treatment. “If something’s working, we don’t want to stop it,” said Dr. Shroff.
Are there active clinical trials for daraxonrasib?
This breakthrough is just the beginning. The RASolute 302 trial only included people with pancreatic cancer who had already tried chemotherapy. Other trials are now testing daraxonrasib as a first treatment for pancreatic cancer, either alone or along with chemotherapy. Trials are also studying whether this drug can help stop the cancer from coming back after tumor removal surgery.
Daraxonrasib is also being tested in trials for non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and other gastrointestinal tumors. The drug is also being tested in “basket trials,” which enroll patients with any of several tumor types caused by a RAS gene mutation.
“We’re at the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Shroff said. “Daraxonrasib is first, but it’s not the only RAS-targeting medicine we have. There are many RAS inhibitors in clinical trials right now that could soon be accessible to patients.”
After a decades-long quest to extend and improve the lives of people with pancreatic cancer, scientists have made great progress. “This is hopefully the first in a line of many therapeutic options for patients with pancreatic cancer where they can live not only longer, but better,” said Dr. Shroff.
Learn more from the American Cancer Society:
Dr. Shroff is an ASCO Fellow.
- Written by
Written by the American Society of Clinical Oncology?(ASCO)?with medical and editorial review by the American Cancer Society content team.
