Daraxonrasib nearly doubles pancreatic cancer survival
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- Daraxonrasib extended median overall survival to 13.2 months in a 500‑patient trial, versus 6.6 months on chemotherapy.link ›
- Bundibugyo Ebola spread across the DRC and Uganda with no approved vaccine or therapy.link ›
- GLP‑1 agonists cut new substance‑use disorders and overdose deaths among 606,434 veterans with type‑2 diabetes.link ›
- Vitamin B12 deficiency rises in seniors due to low stomach acid and drugs like metformin; high‑dose oral B12 restores levels.link ›
- Bharat Aggarwal’s curcumin papers were flagged for fraud; 30 have been retracted after $275 million in U.S. research funding.link ›
- Methionine supplementation boosted survival in mice facing lethal infection by improving kidney filtration.link ›
- Genetic variants linked to GLP‑1 resistance affect about 10% of people, reducing Ozempic efficacy in clinical trials.link ›
Daraxonrasib, a daily pill that blocks malfunctioning RAS proteins, nearly doubled median survival to 13 months in a 500-patient Phase III trial of advanced pancreatic cancer, outperforming standard chemotherapy, researchers reported at ASCO and in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The stories behind this week
Daraxonrasib Doubles Pancreatic Cancer SurvivalPatients with KRAS‑mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer gain an extra 6.6 months of life and see severe side‑effects fall from 57.5% to 43.6%, spurring Pancreatic Cancer UK to push for swift UK availability and giving families more time together.
Ebola Bundibugyo strain spreads in DRC, Uganda; no cureCommunities in DRC and Uganda face heightened Ebola risk as the Bundibugyo strain spreads without an approved vaccine or therapy, pressuring health ministries to accelerate experimental countermeasures.
GLP-1 drugs lower addiction overdose deaths in veteransVeterans with diabetes and clinicians gain a new tool to lower addiction risk and prevent overdose deaths, and health systems can reduce emergency‑care costs and substance‑use complications.
The supplements older adults actually need and the ones they don'tOlder adults who get tested and address proven deficiencies can improve strength and cognition, while avoiding unnecessary toxic supplements saves money and reduces medication interaction risks.
Do turmeric and curcumin have any actual health benefits?Consumers and supplement makers lose credibility as $275 million of public research funding yields little therapeutic progress, while investors and health agencies face scrutiny for backing a poorly bioavailable compound.
Salk Institute Finds Methionine Boosts Mouse SurvivalPatients with sepsis or inflammatory diseases could benefit from a low‑cost dietary supplement, potentially lowering mortality and hospital expenses, while drug makers may shift toward nutrition‑based therapies, reshaping development pipelines.
NASA to Wear Prada Long‑Johns on MoonAstronauts gain a high‑tech thermal‑control layer, while NASA’s Artemis program secures a luxury‑brand partnership that boosts mission comfort and draws commercial interest to lunar operations by 2028.
Genetic variants cause 10% resistance to OzempicPatients with the GLP‑1‑resistant variants—about one in ten—will likely need alternative diabetes regimens, while clinicians can use genetic testing to avoid ineffective Ozempic prescriptions, reducing trial‑and‑error costs.
Why it matters: Pancreatic cancer patients with advanced disease rarely survive a year, and standard chemo adds only months. Daraxonrasib's jump to 13-month median survival, paired with a 1% discontinuation rate versus 11% on chemo, marks the first major survival advance in decades for a RAS-driven cancer, though rash hits nearly all patients and FDA approval is still pending.
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