The U.S.Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a new cancer treatment pill Wednesday.Rasonque, manufactured by Revolution Medicines in California, is an inhibitor for the most common type of pancreatic cancer.
The tablet, which is taken once daily, targets multiple forms of a protein called RAS that drives tumor growth.In a press release, the FDA called Rasonque a "new treatment option for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer," noting the agency approved it more than six months ahead of its review deadline.CANCER TREATMENT DELAYS SURGE ACROSS US AS DOCTOR WARNS SYSTEM ‘NEEDS FIXING IMMEDIATELY’"Today’s approval provides a critical new option for patients facing an extraordinarily difficult and historically hard-to-treat cancer.It is our fundamental duty to deliver more cures and meaningful treatments to patients as quickly as possible," acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said in a press release."I am immensely proud of the dedicated FDA scientists whose fast, thorough review and relentless commitment made this groundbreaking milestone a reality."Taken as a once-daily tablet, Rasonque directly inhibits multiple forms of the RAS protein, which acts as the main driver of tumor growth in pancreatic cancer.
(iStock)The authorization is for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer that either did not respond to at least one prior treatment or could not receive certain combination drug therapies.Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains one of the deadliest forms of oncology in the U.S., accounting for up to 95% of the roughly 67,000 annual pancreatic cancer cases identified by the National Cancer Institute.PATIENTS REMAIN CANCER-FREE NEARLY 3 YEARS AFTER RECEIVING EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOTHERAPYWhile the disease makes up only 3.2% of total cancer diagnoses, it causes a disproportionately high number of cancer deaths because it is often found late and can spread quickly.The new drug was approved after a randomized, open-label trial of 500 patients with pre-tre...