New Pancreatic Cancer Drug Reaches California Patient

When Peter Thomas answered the phone from his oncologist, he heard the words he'd been fighting to stay alive long enough to hear: the experimental drug was coming.

The 67-year-old San Clemente resident had endured months of chemotherapy, radiation, hospitalizations, and life-threatening sepsis while battling advanced pancreatic cancer. But he and his wife Antoinette kept pushing forward, determined to access daraxonrasib, an investigational therapy targeting the KRAS mutation that drives more than 90% of pancreatic cancers.

City of Hope Orange County became among the first cancer centers in the country to offer eligible patients access to daraxonrasib through the FDA's Expanded Access Program. When Peter's shipment arrived, his oncologist Dr. Pashtoon Kasi literally ran out to meet the delivery truck himself.

"Peter's smile is back," Antoinette said.

For decades, pancreatic cancer has remained one of the deadliest cancers to treat, with few meaningful advances despite extensive research. The KRAS mutation was once considered one of cancer's most impossible targets. But researchers recently unveiled landmark clinical trial results at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, comparing daraxonrasib to standard chemotherapy with promising outcomes.

Peter's journey to that moment required relentless persistence from his family and care team. About a month before receiving the drug, he stopped chemotherapy because it was taking too much of a toll. Dr. Kasi's encouragement to "just hang on" became Peter's daily motivation to eat, get up, and keep fighting.

The Ripple Effect

The Thomases chose to share their story publicly because they want other families to know what's possible. They hope patients understand that accessing investigational therapies often requires comprehensive biomarker testing, asking tough questions, and advocating loudly for themselves.

Peter's application was among the first approved by the drug's manufacturer. While daraxonrasib isn't a cure and isn't right for everyone, it represents an unexpected door opening for eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer carrying the KRAS mutation.

The program is now available at City of Hope locations in Orange County, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, and Atlanta. New patients must complete an appointment before eligibility can be determined, and evaluation doesn't guarantee access.

"This isn't the silver bullet yet, but it opens the door," Peter said. "Others will be building on this technology and improving it. With all the expertise and science being brought to bear on this disease, there is hope for the future."