In a heartwarming development for patients facing some of the most challenging cancers to treat, researchers have discovered that a targeted therapy called zenocutuzumab is giving people precious extra years of quality life, even after their disease initially appears to progress.

The inspiring findings come from the eNRGy trial, presented at the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. The study focused on 17 patients with rare NRG1 fusion-positive pancreatic and bile duct cancers who continued their treatment even after conventional measurements suggested their cancer was progressing. What happened next offers genuine hope: 35% of patients experienced significant tumor shrinkage, including one person achieving complete response, while an impressive 65% achieved meaningful disease control lasting at least six months.

Dr. Alison M. Schram from Memorial Sloan Kettering, who led the research, emphasized the significance of these results. "Zenocutuzumab provided ongoing benefit after radiographic progression, including multi-year disease control in some patients," she shared. For context, pancreatic and bile duct cancers have historically been extremely difficult to treat, making these outcomes particularly meaningful for patients and their families.

The treatment's gentle nature adds to its promise. Patients tolerated the therapy remarkably well, with zero participants stopping treatment due to side effects. This means people could continue living their lives without the burden of severe treatment-related complications, a truly precious gift when time matters most.

Perhaps most touching are the individual success stories hidden within the data. Multiple patients remained on zenocutuzumab for more than one or two years after their initial progression, with some continuing treatment for over 35 months. The median treatment duration reached 11 months, far exceeding typical outcomes for these aggressive cancers.

The Bright Side: This research illuminates a path forward for precision medicine in cancer care. Zenocutuzumab works by targeting a specific genetic abnormality, the NRG1 gene fusion, which drives tumor growth in a small subset of patients. By blocking the HER2/HER3 protein interaction that fuels these cancers, the drug essentially cuts off the tumor's growth signal.

Dr. Anna Berkenblit, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at PanCAN, captured the broader significance: "For NRG1 fusion-driven pancreatic cancer, zenocutuzumab is an important step closer to a world in which all patients with pancreatic cancer will thrive." Her organization strongly advocates for biomarker testing to identify patients who might benefit from such targeted treatments.

The therapy, marketed as BIZENGRI, received FDA accelerated approval in December 2024 for advanced lung and pancreatic cancers with NRG1 fusions. This approval represents years of research finally translating into real-world help for patients who previously had limited options.

Pritesh J. Gandhi, Chief Development Officer at Partner Therapeutics, noted that "the durability of benefit with zenocutuzumab is not typically seen in these diseases." This understatement speaks volumes: in diseases where survival is often measured in months, having patients thrive for years represents a genuine breakthrough.

For patients and families facing these diagnoses, the message is clear: comprehensive genetic testing can unlock treatment options that didn't exist just years ago, and hope continues to grow as science advances.