India Pharma Outlook Team | Monday, 01 June 2026
Revolution Medicines' experimental pancreatic cancer pill, daraxonrasib, significantly improved survival and reduced the risk of death in patients whose disease had progressed after initial chemotherapy, according to results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
The phase III trial involved around 500 patients and compared the once-daily oral drug with standard chemotherapy. Researchers reported that daraxonrasib reduced the overall risk of death by 60% and nearly doubled survival outcomes in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
The study also found that the treatment halted or reversed tumour progression in nearly one-third of patients, compared with about 10 percent among those receiving chemotherapy.
"It ticks all of the boxes," said Dr Rachna Shroff, University of Arizona Cancer Center and ASCO expert in pancreatic cancer, saying that a doubling of survival and reduction in the risk of death has never been seen in patients whose cancer progressed after Chemotherapy.
"These results will change how scientists, clinicians, and patients think about treatment for pancreatic cancer," said Dr Brian Wolpin of Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Principal Investigator of the Trial.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with most patients diagnosed at an advanced stage and survival rates remaining low.
According to trial data, patients receiving daraxonrasib achieved a median survival of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for those on standard chemotherapy. The drug also improved symptom management, allowing some patients to return to activities they had previously stopped due to pain and declining health.
MD Anderson Cancer Center's Dr Shubham Pant, a co-principal investigator of the trial, said one patient who had given up golf due to cancer-related pain was able to reduce dependence on narcotic medications and return to the sport after a month of treatment.
"I have multiple patients like that," he said.
For India, where pancreatic cancer cases are rising and many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, an effective oral therapy could offer an important new treatment option if approved by regulators. The convenience of a daily pill may also help reduce the burden associated with repeated chemotherapy sessions.
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The commercial opportunity is also significant. The Indian pancreatic cancer treatment market is estimated to reach USD 100 million in 2026 and is projected to grow to USD 161.5 million by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3 percent between 2025 and 2030. The growing market reflects increasing demand for advanced therapies, targeted treatments and improved cancer care across the country.
Daraxonrasib belongs to a new class of medicines known as RAS(ON) inhibitors, designed to target mutations in the RAS gene that drive tumour growth.
Among patients carrying the G12 RAS mutation, tumours remained under control for a median of 7.3 months, compared with 3.5 months for those receiving chemotherapy. Around 33 percent of these patients experienced tumour shrinkage or disappearance, versus nearly 12 percent in the chemotherapy group.
The most commonly reported side effects included rash, mouth inflammation, nausea and diarrhoea. Rash was observed in 86.3 percent of patients, although researchers said it was generally manageable with antibiotics and topical steroid treatments.
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A key finding was that only 1.2 percent of patients receiving daraxonrasib discontinued treatment because of side effects, compared with 11.2 percent in the chemotherapy group. Severe or life-threatening side effects occurred in 43.6 percent of patients receiving the drug; lower than the 57.5 percent reported in the chemotherapy arm.
Mark Goldsmith, Chief Executive of Revolution Medicines, said the company is testing daraxonrasib in earlier stages of pancreatic cancer and in combination with other therapies to further improve survival outcomes.
The US Food and Drug Administration has already granted expanded access to the treatment and plans an expedited review, while researchers continue exploring additional targeted therapies and cancer vaccines aimed at improving outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.
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