FDA Approves New Drug Doubling Survival in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Amid High Costs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Draksonersib for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, six months ahead of schedule. This treatment is the first to scientifically demonstrate effectiveness in inhibiting the RAS protein, a key driver of tumor growth, after decades of unsuccessful attempts to target its smooth structure. In a phase 3 clinical trial involving 500 patients who had received prior treatment, those taking Draksonersib had a median survival of 13.2 months compared to just 6.7 months with standard chemotherapy.

Professor Ido Wolf, head of the oncology department at Ichilov Medical Center, described this advancement as a true revolution, likening it to early breakthroughs in lung cancer treatment. However, the drug's estimated cost of about $30,000 (approximately 90,000 shekels) per month presents a significant financial challenge. Since the list of candidates for Israel's public health basket for 2027 is already closed, the earliest possible public funding inclusion is January 2028.

Professor Wolf warned that this gap, combined with the cessation of the compassionate use program in the U.S., will leave some patients unable to afford the treatment: "There will be patients without private insurance and without money, and for them, there will be no drug."