The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Rasonque, also known as daraxonrasib, a once-daily pill for advanced pancreatic cancer. In a late-stage trial of 500 patients, the drug improved median overall survival to 13.2 months, compared with 6.7 months for standard chemotherapy — roughly double. The drug, made by Revolution Medicines, targets a mutated protein called RAS that drives tumor growth in more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. It is the first biomarker-driven therapy to show an overall survival advantage in metastatic pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease and the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The approval covers patients whose tumors no longer respond to at least one earlier treatment. A one-month supply will cost about $39,800.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for pancreatic cancer that has been shown to improve survival in clinical trials. The approval is the first for a new pancreatic cancer treatment in nearly a decade. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of around 12 percent. In a late-stage trial, patients who received the new treatment lived longer than those on standard chemotherapy. Doctors called the approval a step forward for a disease that has seen few new options. The drug will be available to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer that has not responded to earlier treatment. The manufacturer said it will launch the drug at a price within reach of most insurance plans, and patient assistance programs will cover the rest.
Health officials in Pennsylvania have reported two recent deaths from measles, the first US deaths from the disease in 2026. Measles is highly contagious, and health experts say falling vaccination rates have raised the risk of outbreaks. The cases have renewed calls for parents to vaccinate their children on schedule.
Pennsylvania health officials reported two recent deaths from measles, the first deaths from the disease in the United States in 2026. The cases add to a growing outbreak that has raised alarms among public health experts. Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe complications, especially in young children and unvaccinated people. Health officials urged families to check vaccination records and get the MMR shot if needed. The deaths come as vaccination rates have slipped in parts of the country, leaving communities more exposed. Doctors said early treatment and vaccination are the best defenses. State officials are working to trace contacts and contain the outbreak before it spreads further.
Two unvaccinated people have died of measles in Pennsylvania, the state's first measles deaths in 35 years. Health officials said both deaths occurred in the same region and both patients developed severe complications. The deaths come as measles cases climb across the country amid falling vaccination rates in some communities. The MMR vaccine is about 97 percent effective after two doses, and public health experts called the deaths preventable. The state health department is setting up free vaccination clinics in the affected region and reviewing immunization records in schools.
A study of more than 260,000 adults finds that waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio predict cardiovascular disease risk better than body mass index alone. The research, published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, followed participants for an average of about 20 years. Nearly one in five people with a normal BMI but a high waist-to-hip ratio had up to 50 percent higher risk for several heart conditions, and BMI alone would have missed them. Inflammation explained part of the link between belly fat and heart failure. The authors say waist measurements should be part of routine heart risk checks, since BMI cannot show where fat is stored and fat around the organs is more dangerous than fat under the skin.
A study in PLOS Digital Health finds that nearly all FDA-cleared AI medical devices lack evidence they improve patient health. Of 1,357 AI-enabled devices cleared for patient care, only 34 were linked to registered clinical trials and just three evaluated patient-centered outcomes such as mortality, hospital readmissions or quality of life. Radiology accounts for 1,059 of the cleared devices, and most evidence comes from retrospective accuracy studies rather than clinical benefit trials. Researchers said regulatory clearance shows a device resembles something already on the market, not that it helps anyone, and called for stronger clinical validation requirements.
Mayo Clinic researchers have validated an AI model that can spot signs of pancreatic cancer up to three years before a formal diagnosis. The tool analyzes electronic health records and flags at-risk patients with high accuracy. Pancreatic cancer is often found too late for surgery, and early detection could improve survival odds. The next step is a clinical trial to test the model in routine care.
A new analysis found that only three of 1,357 AI-enabled medical devices cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been tested for their effect on patient outcomes. Hundreds of AI tools are entering clinical care, but the study traced how quickly the evidence thins when focus shifts from regulatory approval to trials that measure what actually happens to patients. Researchers said most devices are cleared based on technical performance rather than proof they improve health. The findings raise questions about how AI is adopted in hospitals. Experts called for stronger evidence requirements before AI tools reach patients.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Pasatru (garetosmab) to treat fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), an ultra-rare genetic disorder in which muscles and soft tissue slowly turn to bone. The drug, made by Regeneron, is the second approved treatment for the disease, following palovarotene (Sohonos) in 2023. Pasatru is a monoclonal antibody that blocks activin A, a protein that drives the abnormal bone growth. In the phase 3 OPTIMA trial, patients receiving monthly infusions showed up to a 94 percent reduction in new bone lesions compared with placebo. The drug is given intravenously once a month. Regeneron says it plans to test the treatment in children and adolescents in a new trial.