AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
At last week's meeting of top cancer researchers, there was big news. It's a new drug that researchers say is redefining treatment of pancreatic cancer, a disease once thought to be virtually untreatable. We're joined now by NPR consumer health correspondent Yuki Noguchi, who is coming to us with some positive news, and we really like that. Thank you for being here.
YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE: Happy to oblige.
RASCOE: So what makes this news so significant?
NOGUCHI: You know, it's that this drug seems to have unlocked this new way to treat pancreatic cancer, which, as you mentioned, is one of the most lethal cancers, and it's also pretty common. You know, about 70,000 people in the U.S. get diagnosed with it every year. And while with other cancers, we've seen treatments increase five-year survival rates to, like, 70%, with pancreatic cancer, that rate is 13%.
RASCOE: So tell us a bit about what makes this a potential breakthrough.
NOGUCHI: The drug is called daraxonrasib. It basically turns off the signals for mutated pancreatic cells to reproduce. It stops cancer from growing. What's so exciting is that we know similar drugs using these same RAS mutations, as they're called, have greatly improved survival for colorectal cancer and lung cancers already. So that's why the chief medical officer at the American Society for Clinical Oncology called it the most innovative and exciting new announcement at their meeting this year, and also why the drug's chief investigator, Brian Wolpin at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, called it a new era for patients.
BRIAN WOLPIN: Drugs that really get at the basis, the molecular basis of the disease will allow us to make it much more treatable and have patients live for substantially longer. This trial, daraxonrasib - the data we've seen is the first step in that process.
RASCOE: And what does this mean for patients?
NOGUCHI: Well, in the Phase 3 trial, it shows reduced risk of death by 60% and increases overall patient survival to more than a year - 13 months, to be exact - which is roughly double how long people typically live on chemotherapy treatments because chemo just doesn't work well on pancreatic tumors. You know, but another big benefit is that it comes with fewer side effects and less harsh ones. The most common is, like, an acne-like rash - you know, often mild, but in severe cases can look like, you know, bloody sores.
But by comparison, you know, anyone who knows chemotherapy knows it's just really terrible. Patients often quit because they can't tolerate these various side effects. Notably, that did not happen with this drug. And that's so critical because not only is it extending life, it's making the quality of that time better. And I've been talking to patients who tell me how grateful they are for this drug. You know, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has also spoken about being in this successful trial and how grateful he is for that.
RASCOE: So what's the next step? Is this going to be available to everybody?
NOGUCHI: It is increasingly available, yes, because the Food and Drug Administration has already expanded patient access to it, even though the agency hasn't granted full approval yet. You know, that's expected potentially by the end of the year.
RASCOE: That's NPR's Yuki Noguchi. Thank you so much for speaking with us today.
NOGUCHI: Thank you, Ayesha. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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