Opinion: STAT+: The real work for making dramatic gains against pancreatic cancer is just beginning

STAT PlusOpinionOpinions+ The real work for making dramatic gains against pancreatic cancer is just beginning AI will be necessary for the next major advances — but not for reasons you might expect, write co-founders of Darwin Health Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Andrea Califano and Gideon BoskerJune 19, 2026 Califano and Bosker are co-founders of Darwin Health. On May 31, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, an international study co-led by a UCLA research team reported that patients with pancreatic cancer who took the drug daraxonrasib lived substantially longer, for an average of 13.2 months, compared with 6.6 to 6.7 months for patients who had chemotherapy alone. This is welcome news, and in anticipation of these results, the FDA, just a month earlier, announced it was granting early access to the drug for selected patients who had failed guideline-directed treatments for this lethal malignancy. Advertisement Widespread media coverage of this regulatory pivot in drug access highlights the intense, enduring interest among the general public, as well as in the scientific and medical communities, for identifying treatments that can move the survival needle lethal for complex, heterogeneous malignancies, thereby derailing effective treatment, especially when only single drugs are deployed to improve clinical outcomes. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, Cancer, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Andrea Califano Gideon Bosker Newsletter The smartest thinkers in life sciences on what's happening — and what's to come Recommended First Opinion June 19, 2026 Maternity deserts aren’t accidents. They’re the result of a design flaw First Opinion June 18, 2026 Congress should embrace strategic health diplomacy Advertisement First Opinion June 18, 2026 AI’s growing appetite for power is a public health issue. Here’s a fix First Opinion June 17, 2026 As a physician, I have never been more concerned about rates of congenital syphilis First Opinion June 17, 2026 The quiet joy of being an oncologist Subscriber Picks