Daraxonrasib
RasonquePubChem CID 164726578 · 3D model
Drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
Glues RAS, a stuck-on 'growth switch' protein behind many pancreatic cancers, to an unrelated protein called cyclophilin A, physically blocking RAS from passing its growth signal onward.
How it works
RAS is a protein that acts like an 'on switch' for cell growth, and mutated, permanently-stuck-on versions of it drive many pancreatic cancers. Daraxonrasib works by a clever trick: it grabs onto both RAS and a completely unrelated protein, cyclophilin A, at the same time, gluing them together into a three-piece complex that physically blocks RAS from passing its growth signal onward. Because it targets the broadly active, switched-on shape of RAS rather than one specific mutation, it can work across a wider range of RAS-driven pancreatic cancers than more narrowly targeted RAS drugs.
What it’s used for
Rasonque is a once-daily pill approved for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have already tried at least one other treatment, or who aren't able to tolerate combination chemotherapy. In the trial that led to its approval, patients taking it lived roughly twice as long, on average, as those given standard chemotherapy.
- Mechanism
- Broad RAS(ON) inhibitor (tri-complex with cyclophilin A)
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Oncology
First-in-class broad RAS(ON) inhibitor approved for metastatic pancreatic cancer
Rasonque is a new once-daily pill for advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the hardest cancers to treat. It works by jamming a protein called RAS that's stuck in the 'on' position in many pancreatic tumors — and unlike earlier RAS-targeting drugs, it isn't limited to just one specific RAS mutation, so it can help a wider range of patients.
Clinical trial
A randomized, open-label, international phase 3 trial of 500 patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, comparing daraxonrasib to physician's choice of standard chemotherapy; patients receiving daraxonrasib lived roughly twice as long on average (13.2 months) as those on chemotherapy.