KRAS inhibitor Daraxonrasib doubles pancreatic cancer survival; blood test flags breast cancer resistance early

An oral KRAS‑targeting drug, Daraxonrasib, was shown in a phase‑II trial presented at the ASCO meeting in Chicago to double median overall survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer to 13.2 months, compared with 6.7 months on standard second‑line chemotherapy. The daily pill targets the KRAS mutation found in about 90 % of pancreatic tumours and is being investigated for other KRAS‑mutated cancers such as lung, colorectal and biliary tract cancers.

Separately, the phase‑III SERENA‑6 trial, also reported at ASCO, demonstrated that analysing circulating tumour DNA in a simple blood draw can detect ESR1 mutations that confer resistance to hormone therapy in metastatic breast cancer months before radiographic progression. This “liquid biopsy” approach could allow oncologists to switch treatments earlier, improving disease management for women with hormone‑dependent breast cancer.

Both studies highlight advances in precision oncology, offering new therapeutic options for hard‑to‑treat cancers and tools for earlier detection of treatment resistance.