The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved "Lasonq" (generic name: daraxonlasib), an innovative pancreatic cancer treatment that nearly doubles the average survival period for pancreatic cancer patients.

According to U.S. daily The Washington Post and other outlets on the 26th (local time), Lasonq, a once-daily pill, nearly doubled the average survival period of pancreatic cancer patients in a clinical trial involving 500 adult patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

The median survival period for patients who took Lasonq was approximately 13.2 months, significantly longer than the 6.7-month survival period of patients who received chemotherapy.

Manufactured by Revolution Medicines, a U.S. cancer therapeutics-focused biotech company, the drug inhibits proteins produced by the cancer-causing gene KRAS, thereby halting the growth of cancer cells.

In connection with this, Dr. Brian Wolpin, the lead investigator for the Phase 3 clinical trial, explained, "It directly targets the fundamental biological drivers of the disease, differing from how we've practiced in the past."

He also added, "Being able to take a pill, which generally has fewer side effects than intravenous chemotherapy, makes a major difference," noting that the drug is easier to administer and puts less strain on the body than intravenous anti-cancer drugs.

Dr. Jad Chahoud, chief science and innovation officer at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, also evaluated the drug, calling it a tremendous "game changer" for pancreatic cancer patients.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)