Daraxonrasib cancer drug doubles pancreatic cancer survival; existing cancer meds show promise for Alzheimer’s

Researchers presented a new therapy, daraxonrasib, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. In the latest clinical trial the drug doubled the survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer, extending median life expectancy from six to thirteen months. Daraxonrasib targets the Ras family of molecules, long considered untreatable, and is now being evaluated for other Ras‑driven cancers such as colorectal and lung tumours.

Separately, scientists used a computational screening approach to identify two FDA‑approved cancer drugs—letrozole, used for breast cancer, and irinotecan, used for colorectal and lung cancers—that reversed key brain changes in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. The combination reduced toxic tau protein aggregates and improved learning and memory performance, suggesting a rapid path to human clinical trials.

Both studies highlight how advances in cancer pharmacology are opening new therapeutic avenues for other serious diseases.