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FDA approves Rasonque for advanced pancreatic cancer patients in the US
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BATON ROUGE — The FDA has approved a new drug for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, with doctors calling it a turning point in treating the disease.
The once-daily oral pill, called Rasonque, is approved for metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who haven't found success with prior treatment and those who aren't able to receive traditional therapies.
"This is a new hope and it's a meaningful hope," Dr. Shafia Rahman of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center said.
Rahman has already been able to give the drug to eligible patients who are out of options and dying from the disease through the expanded access program.
In a large trial, patients who used the treatment lived for twice as long as those who got standard chemotherapy.
"We have not seen this amount of benefit from any drug in pancreatic cancer so far," Rahman said.
The drug manufacturer, Revolution Medicines, says this is the first targeted cancer medication approved from a new class of drugs that targets what's called RAS mutations, which drive most pancreatic cancer cases.
With FDA approval, the medicine is now available for prescriptions in the U.S. A 30-day supply will cost wholesalers nearly $40,000, though what patients pay will depend on factors like insurance coverage, Medicare or Medicaid status and assistance programs.
"Seeing this kind of improvement in the survival is, is really a game-changer," Rahman said.
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