The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Rasonque, a once-daily tablet for adults with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer. The approval matters because pancreatic adenocarcinoma is particularly difficult to treat and often diagnosed after it has spread, while trial results suggested the drug could extend survival substantially compared with standard chemotherapy.

Rasonque, made by California-based Revolution Medicines, inhibits several forms of the RAS protein that drives tumour growth. In a 500-patient randomised trial, median overall survival was 13.2 months with the drug versus 6.7 months with chemotherapy; common side effects included rash, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue and bleeding. The FDA granted expedited designations and approved the treatment more than six months before its review deadline.