FDA approves first RAS-targeting drug for pancreatic cancer Another FDA-approved blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, a large investment in an epilepsy drug, a win for a monoclonal antibody drug, and more led the news this week. Brought to you byDDN editorial team

FDA approves first RAS-targeting drug for pancreatic cancer Another FDA-approved blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, a large investment in an epilepsy drug, a win for a monoclonal antibody drug, and more led the news this week. Brought to you byDDN editorial team https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/fda-approves-first-ras-targeting-drug-for-pancreatic-cancer-17485 The FDA has approved Revolution Medicines’ Rasonque (daraxonrasib) for adults with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma, marking the first approved therapy designed to directly target a genetic driver of the disease. The once-daily oral RAS inhibitor is approved for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have received at least one prior systemic therapy or are not candidates for multiagent treatment. In a randomized Phase 3 trial involving 500 previously treated patients, Rasonque more than doubled median overall survival compared with standard chemotherapy, extending it to 13.2 months versus 6.7 months. Although pancreatic cancer accounts for only around three percent of cancer diagnoses in the US, it is responsible for approximately eight percent of cancer deaths, with more than 50,000 people dying from the disease each year. Rasonque targets RAS proteins, which drive tumor growth in most pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and was granted Breakthrough Therapy, Orphan Drug, and Priority Review designations. “The approval was granted 6.5 months before the user fee deadline, demonstrating the FDA’s commitment to accelerating the approval of new cancer treatments for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions,” said Angelo de Claro, Director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, in the press release. – Bree Foster