Rep. Sewell Celebrates the FDA Approval of a New Drug for Pancreatic Cancer

Birmingham, AL - Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) celebrated the Food and Drug Administration's approval of daraxonrasib, a new drug for treating advanced pancreatic cancer. This drug, taken as two pills a day, is the first treatment that substantially extends the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer.

"This is incredible news," celebrated Rep. Sewell. "No family in America has been spared the scourge of cancer, including my own. Having lost my mother, the late Nancy Gardner Sewell, to pancreatic cancer, I know firsthand the heartbreak and devastation this disease can bring to a family. That is why I am overjoyed to join millions of Americans in celebrating this historic victory which will help revolutionize the way we treat pancreatic cancer."

"The FDA's approval of daraxonrasib offers new hope to pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones, and represents a remarkable step forward in our fight against one of the deadliest forms of cancer," continued Rep. Sewell. "Breakthroughs like this one highlight why we must continue investing in lifesaving research - so that one day we will not only be able to treat pancreatic cancer, but cure it!"

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest major cancers, with a five-year survival rate below 20%. This cutting-edge drug, which will be sold under the brand name Rasonque, was approved for patients who have metastatic pancreatic cancer and have already tried chemotherapy. In clinical trials, participants who received daraxonrasib lived for a median of over 13 months, compared with less than seven months for those who received chemotherapy. Some patients who have gotten the drug through clinical trials have lived for years.

This new breakthrough comes just months after the passage of the Nancy Gardner Sewell Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act, a bipartisan law that ensures seniors on Medicare can get access to the latest lifesaving cancer screening tests. Co-sponsored by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), the bill was one of the most sponsored bill in the 199th Congress with 339 House co-sponsors and 68 Senate co-sponsors and was signed into law by President Trump on February 3, 2026.

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