Under an FDA ruling that expands access to clinical trials, HonorHealth Research Institute is one of the first in the nation to offer a new drug, Daraxonrasib, that based on early data nearly doubles the average survival time of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Importantly, this effort has had a profound impact at the individual patient level. The response from patients has been incredibly moving, with many expressing deep gratitude and having tears of joy."
Erin Pierce, Nurse Practitioner, HonorHealth Research Institute's Oncology Research Division
The medication's effectiveness has been heralded ever since early test results were announced at the recent annual convention of the 45,000-member American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), prompting a standing ovation from the thousands of cancer physicians in attendance.
Among patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, meaning it had spread to other organs, the new medication gave patients a median overall survival of 13.2 months, compared to 6.7 months for standard chemotherapy.
This represents a significant advancement in targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer, offering hope for improved survival and quality of life in a population with historically limited options. Nearly 53,000 Americans will succumb this year to pancreatic cancer, making it the third most deadly type of cancer, following lung and colorectal cancers.
"Daraxonrasib is the first agent to demonstrate success on targeting KRAS in pancreatic cancer. It's effectiveness will open the door for more targeted strategies against pancreatic and other cancers in the future," said Dr. Erkut Borazanci, Medical Director of HonorHealth Research Institute's Oncology Division.
Produced by Redwood City, Calif.-based Revolution Medicines, Daraxonrasib is an investigational RAS gene inhibitor that targets mutations present in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers.
Among first in the nation
"The launch of the Daraxonrasib Early Access Program (EAP) allows our team to be one of the first in the nation to provide this new treatment option to metastatic pancreas patients with significant unmet needs," said Pierce, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, who also is an Associate Clinical Investigator at the Research Institute.
Anticipating a heightened demand for the new drug, Dr. Borazanci supervised the rapid coordination in recent weeks of multiple Institute resources and began identifying patients who might qualify for the program.
"We revisited the workflow with the entire pancreas standard of care and research teams," including the Institute's pharmacy division, Pierce said. "This allowed us to align on operational details, including drug ordering, pharmacy consultations, and communication pathways to track patient status - such as scheduling, new referrals, discontinuations, and refill needs - ensuring a streamlined and collaborative process moving forward."
How patients qualify for study
The expanded access program (EAP) is intended to provide daraxonrasib to eligible adult patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, who have no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy and are unable to participate in other ongoing daraxonrasib clinical trials (NCT07573215). Eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Oncology Division in accordance with the EAP protocol.
The drug is orally administered daily, and is available only through the physician-initiated request process.
Evolutionary noncoding RNAs reveal new targets for cancer therapy