Pancreatic cancer drug approved by FDA is "exceptional moment," Boston researcher says

When the news broke that the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug for pancreatic cancer patients, it gave patients fighting the disease a glimmer of long-awaited hope.

For years, the team at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been leading the research and trials of daraxonrasib. Money raised from the Pan-Mass Challenge helped pay for the research. Since 1980, the PMC has raised more than $1.125 billion for Dana-Farber.

Daraxonrasib is a pill designed to block the mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It's the kind of breakthrough drug that scientists have been working toward.

"I think it's really an exceptional moment to see a new drug approved for patients with pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Brian Wolpin with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Wolpin is the leading researcher behind daraxonrasib.

"We just have never seen a medicine like that. We've never had an opportunity like this," Wolpin said. 

The FDA approval comes after years of clinical trials.

Rob Martell, 58, was selected about two months ago to take the once-daily pill. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer and underwent intense rounds of chemotherapy.

"It's been rough. It brings clarity to your life, having, for a lack of a better term, an expiration date," Martell said of his diagnosis.

It is too early to tell how the pill is working for him. He has scans in the coming weeks. But Martell said he noticed an immediate reduction in pain around his pancreas when he started the medication.

"Every day brings a little different challenge but for the most part energy levels are starting to come up," he said. "It's not a cure, I understand that. But I feel so much better than I have felt in a few months."

The market price for a year's worth of treatment is just under $500,000. Many patients are waiting to see how much insurance companies will cover.