Revolution Medicines Drug Doubles Survival in 90% of Pancreatic Cancers

(P1) An experimental pill from Revolution Medicines (RVMD) that nearly doubles survival time in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is creating a potential new standard of care for one of the deadliest cancers. The drug, daraxonrasib, targets a genetic mutation present in about 90% of pancreatic cancer cases, a field that has seen little progress for decades.

(P2) "Doubling survival compared to best available chemotherapy is a big deal," said Dr. Gulam Manji, co-director of the pancreas center at Columbia/New York-Presbyterian, in an interview with Reuters. "It is not a cure, but I think that this drug is a new breakthrough we can build on."

(P3) In a recent clinical trial, patients treated with daraxonrasib had a median overall survival of 13.2 months, compared to just 6.7 months for those receiving standard chemotherapy. The results prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant the drug an expedited review and allow an expanded access program on May 1, enabling some patients to receive the drug free of charge before its formal approval.

(P4) The intense patient and clinic demand signals a potential blockbuster for Revolution Medicines, a Redwood City, California-based biotech. With around 67,000 new pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. annually, a successful launch for daraxonrasib could generate billions in revenue and establish the company as a major force in oncology, though the company's cash runway has not been disclosed.

A New Approach to an 'Undruggable' Target

For decades, scientists considered the KRAS protein, whose mutation drives the growth of most pancreatic cancers, to be an "undruggable" target due to its smooth, slick surface. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard University developed a new approach, creating a drug that essentially acts as a "glue" to disable the rogue protein. Daraxonrasib is one of the first drugs to successfully use this mechanism.

The development has been compared to breaking the four-minute mile in cancer research, opening a new front in the war against solid tumors. Other companies are already building on the breakthrough. Tango Therapeutics (TNGX) is actively enrolling patients in a trial combining its drug, vopimetostat, with RAS inhibitors like daraxonrasib, hoping to create even more effective combination therapies for pancreatic and lung cancer.

'A Game-Changer' for Patients

For patients like David Stockton, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago, the drug has been life-altering. "As soon as I was diagnosed … my thought was it’s a death sentence," Stockton said. He reported that the side effects, primarily a skin rash and minor stomach issues, were minimal compared to the neuropathy and nausea from chemotherapy.

While not a cure, the extended survival and higher quality of life offer new hope. "If I can pick up another six, nine, twelve months, I’ll probably make it to the next greatest thing," Stockton said. This sentiment is echoed in clinics, which have seen a "deluge of patient requests" since the trial results were announced, according to Dr. Daniel King at Northwell Health's Zuckerberg Cancer Center.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.