WASHINGTON STATE — Rasonque has been shown to nearly double median overall survival for patients with pancreatic cancer. The list price for Rasonque is nearly $40,000 per month.

Juan Solano was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer in January 2025. He underwent an Appleby Procedure to remove a tumor from the body of his pancreas. Juan Solano's cancer progressed to stage 4 in early 2026 after initially appearing disease-free in November 2025. His doctors told him he needed a different treatment by late August after his clinical trial stopped working.

Kelsey Solano made 61 phone calls in 48 hours to insurance providers, medical teams, and pharmacies to secure access to Rasonque for her husband. Kelsey Solano purchased a seven-day supply of Rasonque by raising her credit limit with her bank.

Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla is a hematologist-oncologist at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Pennsylvania and co-founder of Massive Bio. OptumRx initially denied coverage for Rasonque for a Medicare patient of Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, stating the drug did not meet regulatory requirements for Part D eligibility.

"The justification was nonclinical. I was, like, what is that? That just doesn’t make any sense," said Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla regarding the initial insurance denial. OptumRx reversed its decision and approved prior authorization for Rasonque after Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla posted a screenshot of the denial letter on X.

Julie Fleshman is the president and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). "Unfortunately, we have heard from some patients who are caught in this transition," said Julie Fleshman, the president and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Revolution Medicines operates a support program called (ON)PATH to assist patients with the transition to commercial access after drug approval. Anthony Mancini is the chief global commercialization officer at Revolution Medicines.

Why It Matters

The closure of the expanded access program coincided with the start of commercial availability, creating a gap for patients requiring immediate treatment. The FDA had previously issued a 'safe to proceed' letter allowing the sponsor to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for Rasonque, enabling patient access to the investigational drug prior to approval under applicable FDA regulations.

Patients faced high costs and administrative barriers during this period. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network stated that the FDA approval of RASONQUE marks the beginning of a new era of treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Timeline

On September 24, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration issued a correction regarding the withdrawal of approval of 72 abbreviated new drug applications from Elite Laboratories, Inc. et al.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the pancreatic cancer drug Rasonque (daraxonrasib) in August 2026. Revolution Medicines closed its expanded access program for Rasonque immediately upon FDA approval.

What's New

The FDA issued a 'safe to proceed' letter allowing the sponsor to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for Rasonque, enabling patient access to the investigational drug prior to approval under applicable FDA regulations.

Juan Solano's doctors told him he needed a different treatment by late August after his clinical trial stopped working. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla is researcher.