Rachelle Gardner heard about an experimental drug for pancreatic cancer and cautiously explored its potential. Her primary concerns included eligibility, hospital access, and whether she would live long enough to benefit. In late July, her questions found answers. At City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago, Gardner took three light blue pills from a bottle, swallowing them one by one with water. After taking the last pill, she expressed optimism: “To good health and getting rid of that cancer bug!”
At 59, Gardner teaches visually impaired students in Milwaukee. She reports that the medication has instilled a new sense of hope. Gardner is among several patients in Illinois and nationwide beginning to receive the experimental drug, deemed a breakthrough.
The drug, known as daraxonrasib, does not cure pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal and tough-to-treat forms. However, it provides patients with precious time. Typically, those whose cancer has spread beyond the pancreas might only have months to live. A clinical trial showed the drug helped patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer live a median of about 13 months post-enrollment, compared to around six months with additional chemotherapy.
Dr. Evan Pisick, a medical oncologist at City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago, described it as a major advancement in decades. “This is honestly a game changer,” Pisick said. “It’s the first targeted therapy available for these patients beyond chemotherapy.”
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved it, the FDA allows Revolution Medicines to provide the drug to eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who have tried other treatments. This occurs under an expanded access program, where physicians submit individual requests for patients. Revolution provides the drug at no cost.
This program eliminates delays for patients who may not have time to spare, Pisick noted. City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago has started administering the drug to Gardner and others. Illinois health systems such as Advocate Health Care, OSF HealthCare, Endeavor Health, and University of Chicago Medicine also participate.
The University of Chicago Medicine was a clinical trial site for the drug. Extending patient lives after other treatments has been labeled “unprecedented,” according to Dr. Ardaman Shergill, lead investigator of the study. Shergill emphasized, “Extending life is the goal of treating metastatic diseases.” Patients reportedly experienced better pain management, appetite, and energy levels with daraxonrasib than with chemotherapy.
One such patient, 84-year-old Mary Louise McAdams from Bronzeville, received an initial prognosis of six months to a year upon her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2024. She endured chemotherapy and radiation, facing severe side effects that required hospitalization. Learning she could try the new drug, she felt hopeful and opted for it. After two weeks on daraxonrasib, McAdams expresses hope for more time to share with her family, including five children and four grandchildren.
Gardner’s journey began three years ago with a Stage 1 diagnosis following abnormal rash symptoms. Treatment included arduous chemotherapy and the Whipple procedure, which involves removing several organs. Results showed no disease until a Stage 4 recurrence in spring 2025. Standard treatments failed by May of this year, and Gardner learned of the expanded access to daraxonrasib.
Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope, underscores the significance of clinical research. “Regulatory systems delay therapies, yet discovery progresses rapidly; trials and access programs are often the best patient options,” he explained.
Now on her medication regime, Gardner remains hopeful for what lies ahead. More pills mean more opportunities to travel, try new restaurants, teach, and spend quality time with loved ones. “There’s hope out there,” Gardner affirmed.
Leave a Reply