Scientists from the United States have developed a targeted therapy that suppresses the KRAS gene mutation, which is a key factor in pancreatic cancer and is found in about 90% of patients.
Revolution Medicines reported that the drug showed a significant improvement in survival rates, nearly doubling compared to traditional chemotherapy.
Clinical trials of the drug Daraksonrasib, a KRAS gene mutation inhibitor, showed that the median survival of patients increased from 6.7 to 13.2 months. The treatment was used as a second-line therapy, i.e., in advanced stages when traditional treatment options are limited.
Lucien Werwick, an oncologist at the National Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, said: "KRAS gene mutations used to be a difficult drug target, but modern drugs now target the mutated protein directly, with limited effect on healthy cells."
This targeted approach, compared to traditional chemotherapy, is characterized by higher selectivity, which reduces side effects and improves patients' ability to tolerate treatment, and it can also be taken in tablet form.
The researchers emphasize that this drug represents a first step, with the possibility of developing similar drugs for use in the early stages of the disease, which may enhance the effectiveness of treatment in the future.
