New Drug Daraxonrasib Nearly Doubles Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Patients

In what researchers are calling one of the most significant advances in pancreatic cancer treatment in years, a new drug called daraxonrasib has shown remarkable results in clinical trials — nearly doubling survival rates for patients with advanced disease.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, with a five-year survival rate of around 12% for all stages combined. The majority of cases are driven by mutations in the KRAS gene, which has historically been considered "undruggable." Daraxonrasib directly targets this mutation, offering a new therapeutic avenue for the roughly 80–90% of pancreatic cancer patients who carry it.

The trial results, published this week, showed that patients receiving daraxonrasib alongside standard chemotherapy lived significantly longer than those on chemotherapy alone. Oncologists described the data as "practice-changing," noting that few targeted therapies have shown such clear benefit in this disease.

In other health news, a major study of more than 600,000 US veterans has found that GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide — already widely used for diabetes and obesity — may also help reduce risks of addiction and overdose. The findings add to the growing body of evidence that this class of medication has benefits well beyond weight loss.

Public health authorities are also tracking a potential Ebola outbreak, with new CDC modeling suggesting that without immediate containment measures, more than 20,000 people could be affected within three months. International health agencies are mobilising resources in response.

On the policy side, eligible Medicare beneficiaries in the United States will be able to access GLP-1 weight-loss medications for $50 per month beginning July 1, 2026, significantly expanding access to these widely sought treatments.