FDA approval of pancreatic cancer drug: oncologist available for interviews

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FDA approval of pancreatic cancer drug: oncologist available for interviews

'One of the most significant advances in pancreatic cancer treatment in more than a decade'

CHICAGO - A Northwestern Medicine oncologist is available for print and broadcast interviews to comment on the FDA approval today of a new "breakthrough" drug for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Devalingam Mahalingam said the approval of the drug, daraxonrasib, marks "one of the most significant advances in pancreatic cancer treatment in more than a decade." Mahalingam can also discuss what the drug approval means for patients with pancreatic cancer and why it is, in his view, such a milestone in oncology.

He is a professor of oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and associate director of clinical research at Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

Below are full quotes from Mahalingam to assist in your reporting. He also is available for interviews.

"This represents one of the most significant advances in pancreatic cancer treatment in more than a decade. For years, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer have largely been limited to combinations of traditional chemotherapy. Daraxonrasib marks an important shift toward effective, molecularly targeted therapy for this disease.

"This approval is an important breakthrough, but it is also a beginning. We now have an effective way to directly target RAS, a genetic mutation that drives more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers. The next question is how we incorporate this class of therapies earlier in the course of the disease and ultimately improve outcomes across different stages of pancreatic cancer.

"Although daraxonrasib substantially prolongs survival, most patients will ultimately develop resistance. Investigators here at Northwestern and across the country are already working to understand those resistance mechanisms and determine whether rational combinations can deepen responses, prolong disease control and further extend survival. I expect this to become one of the most important areas of pancreatic cancer research over the next several years.

"As we move from chemotherapy toward RAS-directed therapy, oncologists will also need to become familiar with a different toxicity profile, particularly rash, stomatitis and gastrointestinal side effects. Fortunately, many cancer physicians already have considerable experience managing similar toxicities with other targeted therapies, and with appropriate monitoring and supportive care these adverse events should generally be manageable."