FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time
New drug targets KRAS mutations, offering a more effective treatment for a deadly disease.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
A sign for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Photograph: CTV News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daraxonrasib, sold as Rasonque, for metastatic pancreatic cancer.
- Patients taking daraxonrasib lived a median of 13.2 months in a study, compared to 6.7 months for those on chemotherapy.
- The drug targets KRAS mutations, a key driver of pancreatic cancer growth, previously considered difficult to treat.
- The FDA approved the drug more than six months ahead of its target date.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 24 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 26 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
45/100
26 sources · methodology
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug, daraxonrasib, marketed as Rasonque, for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have already undergone prior treatment or cannot receive combination chemotherapy. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with an estimated 67,000 new cases and over 52,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The drug targets mutated proteins in the RAS gene family, specifically KRAS mutations, which are known to fuel pancreatic cancer growth and were previously considered difficult to target with medication.
In a study involving 500 patients, those who received daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months. This is nearly double the median survival time of 6.7 months for patients receiving standard chemotherapy. The FDA granted approval more than six months ahead of its target date. Dr. Pashtoon Kasi of City of Hope Orange County described the drug as "the best option we've ever had" for patients, while acknowledging it is not a cure.
Disagreement on drug's potential
While the FDA's acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, stated it is the agency's "fundamental duty to deliver more cures and meaningful treatments to patients as quickly as possible," the reports do not universally describe the drug as a breakthrough. Some digests refer to it as "groundbreaking" or "landmark," while others, such as The Washington Post, quote the headline "FDA approves ‘landmark’ pancreatic cancer drug that extends patients’ lives." However, the full report from CTV News includes a quote from Dr. Kasi stating, "This is not a cure, it’s one more option for these patients."
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the specific median survival times reported in the study (13.2 months for daraxonrasib versus 6.7 months for chemotherapy). The full reports from CTV News and CNBC, as well as digests from multiple centre and left-rated outlets, included these figures.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 26 Aug 2026, 17:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- Reports from outlets rated left led on the FDA's approval of daraxonrasib, branded as Rasonque, for metastatic pancreatic cancer. These reports highlighted that the drug nearly doubled average survival times in trials. They noted the drug targets mutated proteins in the RAS gene family, specifically KRAS mutations, which fuel pancreatic cancer growth. Several left-rated outlets used phrases such as "landmark pancreatic cancer drug" in their headlines and descriptions, as seen in digests from The Record, The Seattle Times, The Independent, and The Independent (US). Scientific American's digest described the approval as "heralding a new era for an intractable disease."
Centre
15 rated outlets
- Outlets rated centre focused on the FDA's approval of daraxonrasib (Rasonque) for metastatic pancreatic cancer, noting the significant improvement in survival rates. They reported that patients taking the drug lived a median of 13.2 months compared to 6.7 months on chemotherapy. The digests from these outlets frequently used the headline "FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival," as seen from Washington Top News, Winnipeg Free Press, WPLG, and WKMG. Bloomberg's digest stated it is the "first medicine to target one of the key molecular causes of the disease," and Barron's digest mentioned it was "touted by a former member of Congress and cancer patient as a ‘miracle drug.’"
Right
2 rated outlets
- The two reports rated right focused on the FDA's approval of a new pancreatic cancer drug. The digests from VINnews and The Batesville Daily Guard used the headline "FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival." Both digests stated that U.S. health officials approved a groundbreaking drug offering a more effective treatment for one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The Batesville Daily Guard digest also noted the drug is a "first-of-a-kind pill from Revolution Medicines."
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time?
- Of the 24 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 29% are rated left, 63% are rated centre, 8% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 26. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 24 rated outlets on this story, 29% are rated left, 63% are rated centre, 8% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time biased?
- FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time is one event reported by 26 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered FDA approves Rasonque for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival time?
- 26 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the new drug approved for pancreatic cancer?
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved daraxonrasib, which is branded as Rasonque. It is a new treatment option for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have previously received treatment or cannot undergo combination chemotherapy.
- How effective is Rasonque compared to chemotherapy?
- In a study, patients taking Rasonque lived for a median of 13.2 months. This is nearly double the median survival time of 6.7 months for patients who received standard chemotherapy.
- What type of pancreatic cancer does Rasonque treat?
- Rasonque is approved for metastatic pancreatic cancer, which is the most common and deadliest form of the disease. It targets specific mutations in the RAS gene family, particularly KRAS mutations, that drive cancer growth.
Read it at the source
26 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- FDA approves ‘landmark’ pancreatic cancer drug that extends patients’ lives (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Revolution Medicines gets FDA nod for targeted pancreatic cancer drug (opens CNBC in a new tab)
- U.S. approves breakthrough pancreatic cancer drug, heralding a new era for an intractable disease (opens Scientific American in a new tab)
Scientific American — is Scientific American biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
15- Revolutionary Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer Approved in the United States (opens Jornal Expresso in a new tab)
Jornal Expresso — is Jornal Expresso biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens CTV News in a new tab)
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens WPLG in a new tab)
- Headline Unavailable (opens Wall Street Journal in a new tab)
Wall Street Journal — is Wall Street Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 7 more
- Revolution Medicines Wins FDA Approval for Cancer Pill. What It Means for the Stock. (opens Barron's in a new tab)
- FDA Approves RevMed’s Breakthrough Pill for Pancreatic Cancer (opens Bloomberg in a new tab)
- Revolution Medicines gets FDA nod for targeted pancreatic cancer drug (opens Reuters in a new tab)
- Revolution Medicines gets FDA nod for targeted pancreatic cancer drug (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- FDA approves new pancreatic cancer drug expected to usher in new era of treatment (opens STAT in a new tab)
- US FDA approves Revolution Medicines' pancreatic cancer drug (opens Market Screener in a new tab)
Market Screener — is Market Screener biased? Our profile of this outlet
- FDA Approves Pancreatic Cancer Drug That Could Double Survival Time (opens Forbes in a new tab)
Right
2- FDA Approves Landmark Pancreatic Cancer Drug That’s Shown To Improve Survival (opens VINnews in a new tab)
- FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's shown to improve survival (opens The Batesville Daily Guard in a new tab)
The Batesville Daily Guard — is The Batesville Daily Guard biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
2- RevMed receives early FDA approval for ‘groundbreaking’ pancreatic cancer drug (opens BioSpace in a new tab)
- FDA approves Revolution Medicines' pancreatic cancer drug, ushering in new era of KRAS therapy (opens endpoints.news in a new tab)
endpoints.news — is endpoints.news biased? Our profile of this outlet
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