Pancreatic cancer patient Ben Sasse sees 'massive' tumor reduction with experimental new drug

Months aft revealing his stage 4 crab diagnosis, erstwhile U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is speaking retired astir an experimental therapy that could widen his life.

Sasse, a Republican who represented Nebraska betwixt 2015 and 2023, shared successful December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has dispersed to aggregate organs — including his liver and lungs.

After initially being fixed 3 to 4 months to live, Sasse, 54, entered a clinical trial for a supplier called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to artifact nan defective cistron that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth.

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The California-based drugmaker, Revolution Medicines, precocious shared information from a shape 3 objective proceedings of group pinch metastatic pancreatic cancer who did not respond to modular chemotherapy. 

Patients connected nan curen lived a median of 13 months, compared to astir six months for those who continued pinch chemo.

Former Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska entered a objective proceedings for a supplier called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to artifact nan defective cistron that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

"I person much, overmuch little symptom than I had 4 months agone erstwhile I was diagnosed, and I person a monolithic 76% simplification successful tumor measurement complete nan past 4 months," Sasse told "60 Minutes" successful a caller interview.

Daraxonrasib useful by going aft a cardinal maturation "switch" successful galore cancers called RAS, according to Sarbajit Mukherjee, M.D., main of gastrointestinal aesculapian oncology astatine Miami Cancer Institute, portion of Baptist Health South Florida. 

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"In pancreatic cancer, that move is stuck successful nan ‘on’ position successful nan immense mostly of tumors, perpetually telling nan crab cells to turn and spread," nan doctor, who was not progressive successful nan proceedings and did not dainty Sasse, told Fox News Digital.

"Daraxonrasib is designed to hindrance to RAS successful its progressive authorities and move down that signal, which tin slow aliases shrink nan cancer."

"The supplier is successful nan last stages of objective trials, wherever it has been shown to double nan endurance of those antecedently treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer."

Pancreatic crab is difficult to diagnose early because location are mostly nary symptoms — aliases only subtle gastrointestinal symptoms — until it is already widespread, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News elder aesculapian analyst.

"This is nan first-of-its-kind targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer," Siegel, who besides was not progressive successful nan investigation aliases nan senator’s treatment, told Fox News Digital. "The supplier is successful nan last stages of objective trials, wherever it has been shown to double nan endurance of those antecedently treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer."

Sasse, shown above, announced his test precocious past year. An master noted that nan endurance boost seen from nan objective proceedings is simply a "big difference" for a illness that typically has overmuch shorter endurance times. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Mukherjee noted that nan endurance boost seen successful nan proceedings is simply a "big difference" for a illness that typically has overmuch shorter endurance times.

"From my perspective, arsenic personification who treats pancreatic crab each day, daraxonrasib is the first targeted pill successful this illness that genuinely feels for illustration a measurement alteration alternatively than a mini incremental improvement," he said.

"It opens nan doorway to overmuch much personalized strategies going forward. For a crab wherever advancement has been painfully slow, it could reshape really we attraction for patients pinch precocious disease."

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While existent chemotherapy options tin shrink pancreatic tumors and thief group unrecorded longer, they are "tough," Mukherjee noted — "and erstwhile they extremity working, our options are constricted and survival is usually measured successful conscionable a fewer much months."

Early information besides suggests that erstwhile daraxonrasib is mixed pinch modular chemotherapy arsenic nan first treatment, location is much shrinkage of tumors and much patients doing good astatine six months than they typically would only pinch chemotherapy.

Sasse shared successful December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has dispersed to aggregate organs, including his liver and lungs. (Meghan McCarthy/Palm Beach Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

If nan supplier is approved, it will apt go an important action for patients erstwhile modular chemotherapy stops working, Mukherjee suggested.

"Ongoing tests are now asking whether it should besides beryllium utilized arsenic portion of nan very first curen plan," he added.

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Although nan supplier is described arsenic "well-tolerated" compared to chemotherapy, nan expert noted that, for illustration immoderate beardown crab drug, daraxonrasib has broadside effects. 

"The ones we spot astir often see rash, diarrhea, rima sores and fatigue, pinch patients needing regular humor tests and adjacent follow‑up while connected treatment," Mukherjee said. 

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In nan objective trials, astir of these problems person been managed by adjusting nan dose aliases adding supportive medications.

"The limitations are important to beryllium transparent astir — it is still not yet FDA‑approved, and it is not a cure," Mukherjee noted. 

In summation to nan daraxonrasi, Sasse credits his religion for helping him hit his original prognosis. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"Over time, astir cancers will yet find ways to turn astir nan drug."

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In summation to daraxonrasib, which he calls a "miracle" drug, Sasse credits his faith for helping him hit his original prognosis.

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"It's weird to beryllium successful your early 50s and get a terminal diagnosis, and group each of a abrupt enactment for illustration you're 93 aliases 94, and you person a batch of wisdom," he said. 

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"I don't cognize that I person a batch of wisdom, but I person a batch of things that I deliberation we should beryllium reflecting connected together."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Sasse for further comment, and to nan caput of nan objective proceedings arsenic well.