Experimental drug doubles survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer trial

Months after revealing his stage 4 cancer diagnosis, former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is speaking out about an experimental therapy that could extend his life.

Sasse, a Republican who represented Nebraska between 2015 and 2023, shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs — including his liver and lungs.

After initially being given three to four months to live, Sasse, 54, entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth.

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The California-based drugmaker, Revolution Medicines, recently shared data from a phase 3 clinical trial of people with metastatic pancreatic cancer who did not respond to standard chemotherapy. 

Patients on the treatment lived a median of 13 months, compared to around six months for those who continued with chemo.

“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 “60 Minutes” in a recent interview.

Daraxonrasib works by going after a key growth “switch” in many cancers called RAS, according to Sarbajit Mukherjee, M.D., chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. 

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“In pancreatic cancer, that switch is stuck in the ‘on’ position in the vast majority of tumors, constantly telling the cancer cells to grow and spread,” the doctor, who was not involved in the trial and did not treat Sasse, told Digital.

“Daraxonrasib is designed to bind to RAS in its active state and turn down that signal, which can slow or shrink the cancer.”

“The drug is in the final stages of clinical trials, where it has been shown to double the survival of those previously treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer.”

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose early because there are generally no symptoms — or only subtle gastrointestinal symptoms — until it is already widespread, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst.

“This is the first-of-its-kind targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer,” Siegel, who also was not involved in the research or the senator’s treatment, told Digital. “The drug is in the final stages of clinical trials, where it has been shown to double the survival of those previously treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer.”

Sasse, shown above, announced his diagnosis late last year. An expert noted that the survival boost seen from the clinical trial is a “big difference” for a disease that typically has much shorter survival times. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Mukherjee noted that the survival boost seen in the trial is a “big difference” for a disease that typically has much shorter survival times.

“From my perspective, as someone who treats pancreatic cancer every day, daraxonrasib is the first targeted pill in this disease that truly feels like a step change rather than a small incremental improvement,” he said.

“It opens the door to much more personalized strategies going forward. For a cancer where progress has been painfully slow, it could reshape how we care for patients with advanced disease.”

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While current chemotherapy options can shrink pancreatic tumors and help people live longer, they are “tough,” Mukherjee noted — “and once they stop working, our options are limited and survival is usually measured in just a few more months.”

Early data also suggests that when daraxonrasib is combined with standard chemotherapy as the first treatment, there is more shrinkage of tumors and more patients doing well at six months than they typically would only with chemotherapy.

Sasse shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs, including his liver and lungs. (Meghan McCarthy/Palm Beach Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

If the drug is approved, it will likely become an important option for patients when standard chemotherapy stops working, Mukherjee suggested.

“Ongoing trials are now asking whether it should also be used as part of the very first treatment plan,” he added.

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Although the drug is described as “well-tolerated” compared to chemotherapy, the doctor noted that, like any strong cancer drug, daraxonrasib has side effects. 

“The ones we see most often include rash, diarrhea, mouth sores and fatigue, with patients needing regular blood tests and close follow‑up while on treatment,” Mukherjee said. 

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In the clinical trials, most of these problems have been managed by adjusting the dose or adding supportive medications.

“The limitations are important to be transparent about — it is still not yet FDA‑approved, and it is not a cure,” Mukherjee noted. 

In addition to the daraxonrasi, Sasse credits his faith for helping him beat his original prognosis. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“Over time, most cancers will eventually find ways to grow around the drug.”

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In addition to daraxonrasib, which he calls a “miracle” drug, Sasse credits his faith for helping him beat his original prognosis.

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“It’s weird to be in your early 50s and get a terminal diagnosis, and people all of a sudden act like you’re 93 or 94, and you have a lot of wisdom,” he said. 

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“I don’t know that I have a lot of wisdom, but I have a lot of things that I think we should be reflecting on together.”

Digital reached out to Sasse for further comment, and to the head of the clinical trial as well.