FDA expands access to drug helping pancreatic cancer patients

HealthWatch FDA expands access to pancreatic cancer drug helping patients like Ben Sasse .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen May 1, 2026 / 3:14 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The Food and Drug Administration said it will allow some pancreatic cancer patients to receive access to a promising drug, even before it is officially approved for use. The medication, daraxonrasib, is a pill taken three times a day. The drug blocks a signal that causes cancer cells to grow non-stop. Drugmaker Revolution Medicine reported that in a clinical trial, metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who took the drug survived a median of 13 months, compared to about six months for similar patients who underwent chemotherapy. Former Sen. Ben Sasse, 54, called daraxonrasib "a miracle drug" in a conversation with "60 Minutes" and said it has helped him live longer and with less pain. "I have much, much less pain than I had four months ago when I was diagnosed, and I have a massive 76% reduction in tumor volume over the last four months," Sasse told Scott Pelley. Daraxonrasib is being approved for use under the FDA's expanded access program. Also called "compassionate use," this option allows patients with serious or terminal conditions to take investigational therapies outside of a clinical trial. Patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who have no other options will be eligible to receive daraxonrasib, the FDA said. Revolution Medicine submitted the request to expand access to daraxonrasib on April 28. The FDA approved the protocol on April 30. FDA com...