New Pancreas Cancer Drug Discovery
Promising New Drug Shows Potential Against Pancreatic Cancer
PHOENIX (AP) — A novel drug, Daraxonrasib, is showing promise in preclinical studies as a potential treatment for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Chicago.
Targeting a Deadly Disease
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed late due to its location and lack of early symptoms,leading to limited treatment options and low survival rates.Fewer than 10% of patients survive five years after diagnosis. This grim statistic underscores the urgent need for more effective therapies.
Daraxonrasib: A Novel Approach
The research focuses on RMC-6236, also known as Daraxonrasib, a potent inhibitor of RAS genes, including KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS.These genes, when mutated, are known to drive tumor growth in various cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The study evaluated the drug’s effectiveness on pancreatic tumors derived from patients with KRAS mutations.
Overcoming Resistance
According to the initial findings, RMC-6236, when combined with existing pancreatic cancer drugs, demonstrates potential against RAS, especially the KRASG12X mutation. Current KRASG12C inhibitors are limited in their ability to target other mutations and can lead to drug resistance.
“the fibrotic tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer exacerbates resistance to therapy, and the combination of RMC-6236 with other therapies could overcome intrinsic and acquired resistances,”
Preclinical Results and Future Directions
The research team, including scientists from the Translational Sciences Center at the Honorhealth research Institute, observed improved anti-tumor activity when RMC-6236 was combined with standard chemotherapy and targeted therapies in a three-dimensional model of pancreatic cancer cells derived from patient biopsies.
“The combination of RMC-6236 with standard chemotherapy and directed therapies improves its antitumor activity, which suggests a promising strategy to improve the therapeutic results in pancreas cancer,”
Sunil Sharma, director of the Translational Sciences Center and another lead author, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the effectiveness of the combination therapy in a pancreatic cancer model.
The Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGEN), part of City of Hope, also contributed to the study. The research suggests that clinical trials in humans are warranted to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of RMC-6236.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Drug Name | RMC-6236 (Daraxonrasib) |
| Target | RAS genes (KRAS, NRAS, HRAS) – notably KRAS mutations |
| Focus | Pancreatic Cancer |
| Key Finding | Improved anti-tumor activity with combination therapy (RMC-6236 with existing treatments) |
| Potential Benefit | Overcoming drug resistance, especially limited activity of current KRAS inhibitors |
| Next steps | Clinical trials in humans to evaluate safety and efficacy |