Intermountain Health provides eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer access to a new drug that nearly doubled patient survival rates in initial clinical trial
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (PRUnderground) August 12th, 2026
“This is a true paradigm shift in how we treat pancreatic cancer,” said Mark Lewis, MD, director of gastrointestinal oncology at Intermountain Health. “I can’t remember the last time I saw such a positive leap forward in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This really does appear to be a game changer in the treatment of this terrible disease.”
Intermountain Health oncologists briefed media on Tuesday on what this treatment option means for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and why it’s critical that patients have access to this novel drug treatment, which targets cancer cells in a different way than traditional chemotherapy.
For oncologists, pancreatic cancer is challenging to treat. Because it often does not have noticeable symptoms, pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, when the disease is typically incurable. Even for patients diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer, many will not be cured.
“Patients with pancreatic cancer urgently need more treatment options,” said Dr. Lewis. “At this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference where results of this study were announced, oncologists and scientists from around the world gave the research team a standing ovation. That’s how exciting this is.”
About 67,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and more than 52,000 die from the disease, annually, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Ned Jones, MD, an Intermountain Health hematologist/oncologist at Intermountain St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, said access to new and effective cancer therapies is critical for patients – especially in smaller communities.
“We are thrilled to have early access to a promising and desperately needed therapy for our patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Jones. “The data from this study generated considerable excitement among the oncology community and highlight the potential for meaningful progress in a disease where advances in treatment have been difficult to achieve.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Intermountain Health oncologists to treat eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer using daraxonrasib through its national Expanded Access Protocol at 10 Intermountain hospitals in Utah, Colorado, and Montana.
They are:
• Intermountain Alta View Hospital, Sandy, Utah
• Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah
• Intermountain Layton Hospital, Layton, Utah
• Intermountain LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City
• Intermountain Lutheran Hospital, Wheat Ridge, Colo.
• Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden, Utah
• Intermountain Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colo.
• Intermountain St. Mary’s Hospital, Grand Junction, Colo.
• Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, St. George, Utah
• Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital, Billings, Mont.
These hospitals were selected to be part of the Expanded Access Protocol for the drug based on their expertise in precision medicine, clinical research, and comprehensive cancer treatment.
Daraxonrasib is an investigational targeted therapy taken orally daily that is designed to address specific genetic mutations that drive tumor growth. Daraxonrasib specifically targets Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations, which play a critical role in cancer cell growth.
KRAS mutations are present in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers and can cause the cellular signaling pathways that regulate growth to remain persistently activated, driving the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells.
Researchers found that daraxonrasib is effective in shutting down those growth signals generated by mutated KRAS, causing pancreatic cancer cells to stop growing and the cancer from spreading.
While the drug does not cure pancreatic cancer, oncologists say it’s a huge advancement.
This treatment represents a growing shift toward precision oncology, where therapies are tailored to the unique molecular characteristics of a patient’s cancer, said Dr. Lewis.
“Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages because symptoms frequently do not appear until the disease has progressed to a significant point,” said Dr. Lewis. “As a result, many patients can face a limited number of effective treatment options and poorer survival outcomes compared with many other cancers. That’s why we’re hopeful by this initiative.”
Results of the clinical trial of 500 patients were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conference in May. The study found that as a second line of treatment, daraxonrasib doubled survival time for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, increasing it from 6.7 months to 13.2 months.
This study did not investigate patients with localized disease or advanced pancreatic cancer treated in the upfront/first-line setting. In those settings, daraxonrasib is only currently used as part of a clinical trial.
The Expanded Access Protocol at the 10 Intermountain Health hospitals allows eligible patients to receive daraxonrasib before broader commercial availability, helping bridge a critical gap for patients who may have exhausted other treatment approaches.
Currently, the medication has been tested through all phases of clinical trials to evaluate safety and efficacy. Patient participation requires a physician request and is reviewed on a case-by-case basis according to program eligibility requirements.
By offering daraxonrasib in local communities in Utah, Colorado, and Montana, Intermountain Health is helping patients obtain cutting-edge cancer care closer to home, doctors say.
“This is about more than a new drug – it’s about giving patients more time and more options,” said Alicia Swink, MD, regional oncology senior medical director for Intermountain Health, who is based in Grand Junction. “For a long time, pancreatic cancer has been one of the toughest cancers we face. Seeing new advancements like this gives us – and our patients – real hope.”
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.
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