New pancreatic cancer drug daraxonrasib and GLP‑1 obesity meds show promise against metastasis

At the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, researchers presented data on daraxonrasib, a targeted therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer. The trial showed a median overall survival of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for standard care, suggesting the drug could roughly double patients’ life expectancy. French oncologist Alice Boilève described the molecule as a potential revolution for treatment practices.

In a separate analysis presented at the same congress, scientists examined health records of more than 20,000 cancer patients, half of whom were using GLP‑1 analogues such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, originally approved for obesity and type‑2 diabetes. The study found up to a 50 % reduction in progression to stage 4 disease for colorectal, liver, breast and non‑small‑cell lung cancers, and an associated increase in overall survival. Researchers cautioned that the causative link between the drugs and reduced metastasis remains unproven and called for further trials.