A consultant medical oncologist has described early trial results for a new pancreatic cancer treatment as “really astounding,” following international studies that suggest a major improvement in survival outcomes for patients with advanced disease.
Professor Austin Duffy, based at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, spoke after findings from a large clinical trial involving around 500 patients across the United States, Europe and Asia were presented at a medical conference in the US. The study examined a daily oral drug, daraxonrasib, designed to target a specific cancer-driving protein.
According to the results, patients receiving the experimental treatment lived on average twice as long as those treated with standard chemotherapy. The findings have been welcomed as a rare advance in a cancer that remains one of the most difficult to treat.
Pancreatic cancer affects around 600 people annually in Ireland, with adenocarcinoma being the most common form. Survival rates have historically remained low, largely due to late diagnosis and limited treatment options.
Professor Duffy explained that the drug works by targeting KRAS, a protein that plays a central role in cancer cell growth. He described KRAS as a kind of internal switch that, when permanently activated, drives normal cells to become cancerous.
“For many years we were unable to directly target it with medication, so chemotherapy remained the main option,” he said. The new therapy, he added, represents a major shift in approach.
While the results are promising, Professor Duffy cautioned that the drug is not a cure. Patients in the trial still faced serious illness, even though outcomes were improved and the treatment was generally well tolerated.
He noted that daraxonrasib is still in clinical trials and has not yet been approved by European regulators. Even if approval is granted in the coming years, access in Ireland could take additional time due to approval processes and healthcare system constraints.
“I don’t know when approval will happen,” he said, adding that real-world availability could still be several years away.
The findings have also been described as a “major milestone” by Claire Kilty, Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society. She said the development could offer patients “precious time” and marks a meaningful step forward in treatment options.
Kilty stressed the importance of improving access to clinical trials for Irish patients, noting that participation in studies remains one of the fastest routes to accessing emerging therapies.
While experts have urged caution, the results are being viewed as one of the most significant advances in pancreatic cancer research in recent years, offering cautious optimism in a field long defined by limited progress.
