The State of Pancreatic Cancer Research

A daily briefing: new research, trials, the drug pipeline, funding and the news, compiled from the public registries and the open web

Saturday, October 4, 2025

On 4 Oct 2025 in pancreatic cancer research

Nothing new on this day

No papers, trials or grants published, registered or awarded in the last 30 days were added on this day. Change tracking began 4 November 2026, so changes to older records aren't known for this day.

Editor’s noteNo newly published papers, newly registered trials, new awards or dated registry changes are listed for this day.

In the news (recent web coverage, not verified)

Recent coverage from the web (not verified, not news of this day)

These links come from a web search. They have not been checked against our records; open the source before relying on them. They are what the search finds now, not what was news on this edition’s day: the search has no date limit, so a link can be months old. Where a page states its publication date it is shown; otherwise the link is marked undated.

News

Research Spotlight by Dr. Anna Berkenblit: December 2025pancan.org · published 17 Dec 2025
3 recent advances in pancreatic cancer researchmdanderson.org · published 9 Oct 2025
Rewinding 2025: A Year in Pancreatic Cancer Researchletswinpc.org · published 5 Jan 2026

Drug approvals

FDA Approves First in Class Targeted Therapy for ...fda.gov · published 26 Aug 2026
FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that's ...npr.org · published 27 Aug 2026
FDA approves daraxonrasib for metastatic pancreatic ...fda.gov · published 26 Aug 2026

Drug approvals here come from the web only and are not verified: our records don’t include regulatory (FDA) data yet.

Gifts & funding

Pancreatic Cancer Action Networkpancan.org · published 14 Mar 2023
Stephenson Prize for Innovation in Pancreatic Cancer ...cityofhope.org · undated

Gifts from organizations only; individual donors aren’t listed.

This week

Sep 28 – Oct 4 · the 7 days ending on this edition’s date

No new papers, trials or grants were added this week. Change tracking began 4 November 2026, after these days, so changes to older records (status, results, retractions) aren't known for this week.

Newly registered trials

No newly registered trials are listed for these seven days.

Results posted

Change tracking began 4 November 2026, after these days, so newly posted results aren’t known for this week.

Status changes

Change tracking began 4 November 2026, after these days, so status changes aren’t known for this week.

Newly awarded grants

No newly awarded grants are listed for these seven days.

The drug pipeline

79 Phase 3 (final-stage) pancreatic cancer trials are open or about to open: 49 recruiting, 14 not yet recruiting and 16 running, no longer recruiting. Trial records as of 13 November 2026.

Drugs in the most open Phase 3 trials

daraxonrasib · in 4 trials
- Study of Zoldonrasib (RMC-9805) Plus Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) Versus Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel as First-Line Treatment in Metastatic KRAS G12D-Mutated Pancreatic AdenocarcinomaNCT07805954 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · recruiting
- Study of Daraxonrasib and Daraxonrasib + GnP as First-line Treatment in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic AdenocarcinomaNCT07491445 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · recruiting
- Study of Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)NCT07252232 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · recruiting
- Phase 3 Study of Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) in Patients With Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)NCT06625320 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · running, no longer recruiting
Everolimus · in 3 trials
- Study of RYZ101 Compared With SOC in Pts w Inoperable SSTR+ Well-differentiated GEP-NET That Has Progressed Following 177Lu-SSA TherapyNCT05477576 ↗ RayzeBio, Inc. · running, no longer recruiting
- Lutetium 177Lu-Edotreotide Versus Best Standard of Care in Well-differentiated Aggressive Grade-2 and Grade-3 GastroEnteroPancreatic NeuroEndocrine Tumors (GEP-NETs) - COMPOSENCT04919226 ↗ ITM Solucin GmbH · running, no longer recruiting
- Efficacy and Safety of 177Lu-edotreotide PRRT in GEP-NET PatientsNCT03049189 ↗ ITM Solucin GmbH · running, no longer recruiting
Lanreotide · in 2 trials
- Lanreotide Versus Placebo Before Surgery to Prevent a Surgical Complication Called a Pancreatic FistulaNCT06807437 ↗ SWOG Cancer Research Network · recruiting
- Study of RYZ101 Compared With SOC in Pts w Inoperable SSTR+ Well-differentiated GEP-NET That Has Progressed Following 177Lu-SSA TherapyNCT05477576 ↗ RayzeBio, Inc. · running, no longer recruiting
RMC-9805 · in 2 trials
- Study of Zoldonrasib (RMC-9805) Plus Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) Versus Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel as First-Line Treatment in Metastatic KRAS G12D-Mutated Pancreatic AdenocarcinomaNCT07805954 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · recruiting
- Study of Zoldonrasib + Chemo of Investigator's Choice vs Placebo + Chemo of Investigator's Choice as First-line Treatment in Metastatic KRAS G12D-mutated Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ( RASolute 305 )NCT07621718 ↗ Revolution Medicines, Inc. · recruiting
Cabozantinib · in 1 trial
- Testing Cabozantinib in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine and Carcinoid TumorsNCT03375320 ↗ National Cancer Institute (NCI) · running, no longer recruiting
Panitumumab · in 1 trial
- Studying Chemotherapy With or Without Panitumumab for Unresectable, Locally Advanced, or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Without KRAS MutationsNCT06998940 ↗ SWOG Cancer Research Network · recruiting
Quemliclustat · in 1 trial
- Study of Quemliclustat and Chemotherapy Versus Placebo and Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal AdenocarcinomaNCT06608927 ↗ Arcus Biosciences, Inc. · running, no longer recruiting
Setidegrasib · in 1 trial
- A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of Setidegrasib, Given With Either mFOLFIRINOX or NALIRIFOX Chemotherapies, in People With Pancreatic CancerNCT07409272 ↗ Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc. · recruiting

Standard chemotherapy drugs (such as gemcitabine, paclitaxel, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin) are part of 21 of these trials and are left out of the list. 42 trials have no drug linked in the records; they may test surgery, radiation or a device, or a drug not yet matched to a name.

How far key targets have got

Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236): 16 trials found. 10 reached Phase 2 (does it work?) and 4 reached Phase 3 (final-stage). None stopped early (0).
KRAS G12D drugs (aimed at the G12D change in the KRAS gene): 55 trials found. 39 reached Phase 2 (does it work?) and 9 reached Phase 3 (final-stage). 6 stopped early (2 in Phase 1, business decision, 1 in Phase 1, other, 1 in Phase 2, enrollment, 1 in Phase 2, business decision, 1 in Phase 2, other).
KRAS G12C drugs (aimed at the G12C change in the KRAS gene): 26 trials found. 13 reached Phase 2 (does it work?) and 0 reached Phase 3 (final-stage). 6 stopped early (2 in Phase 1, enrollment, 2 in Phase 1, business decision, 2 in Phase 2, business decision).
Pan-KRAS drugs (aimed at many KRAS changes at once): 21 trials found. 12 reached Phase 2 (does it work?) and 4 reached Phase 3 (final-stage). 1 stopped early (1 in Phase 1, efficacy or futility).

Counts are trials whose titles name the drug or target, so a few may be missed or counted twice. A trial that reached Phase 3 also counts as having reached Phase 2.

Approvals These records hold no drug-approval (regulatory) data, so this briefing can’t say whether any drug here is approved. A registry status of “approved for marketing” on an expanded-access record (a program that gives a drug to patients outside a trial) is not an FDA approval: Expanded Access Program for Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) in Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma NCT07573215 ↗ . Web reports of approvals appear under In the news, not checked.

Follow the money

Who pays for pancreatic cancer research, and where the money is thin

NIH dollars by year are charted under The field at a glance.

Money counted here comes from the NIH (33 funding records: its institutes, centers and offices), CDMRP (US Department of Defense) Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, Lustgarten Foundation, PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network) and Stephenson Institute.

What’s counted NIH awards, fiscal years 2003–2026, plus verified awards from Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs - Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, Lustgarten Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Stephenson Global Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute. Not covered: DoD beyond CDMRP awards listed, industry, non-US public funders. Years outside that window are left out rather than shown as unfunded. Gifts from individual donors are not tracked; only awards from organizations are listed.

Newest foundation and agency awards

A Blood-Based Test to Predict Pancreatic Cyst Progression
verified against the funder’s pageStephenson InstituteCity of Hopeyear 2026amount not published
Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Through Next-Generation Splicing Inhibitors
verified against the funder’s pageStephenson InstituteFundación para la Gestión de la Investigación en Salud de Sevilla (FISEVI)year 2026amount not published
Catalyst Research Award (Precision Promise biospecimens and data): Anirban Maitra
verified against the funder’s pagePanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)NYU Grossman School of Medicineyear 2026amount not published
Catalyst Research Award (Precision Promise biospecimens and data): David DeNardo
verified against the funder’s pagePanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)Washington University in St. Louisyear 2026amount not published
Catalyst Research Award (Precision Promise biospecimens and data): Gregory L. Beatty
verified against the funder’s pagePanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)year 2026amount not published
Catalyst Research Award (Precision Promise biospecimens and data): Peter Hosein
verified against the funder’s pagePanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)University of Miamiyear 2026amount not published
Clinical Accelerator Initiative grant: Anirban Maitra
verified against the funder’s pageLustgarten FoundationNYU Langoneyear 2026amount not published
Clinical Accelerator Initiative grant: Harshabad Singh
verified against the funder’s pageLustgarten FoundationMassachusetts General Hospitalyear 2026amount not published

Awards carry only a year, not a day, so “newest” is by award year. How many awards we hold: CDMRP (US Department of Defense) Pancreatic Cancer Research Program 2; Lustgarten Foundation 44; PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network) 235; Stephenson Institute 9.

Where activity is high but money is low

Research areas with the most papers and trials but no counted grant money in 2021–2025 (full years only; 2026 is partial (to date) and left out):

G12D-targeted: 93 papers and 48 trials in 2021–2025, with $0 in counted grant money.
CLDN18.2 cell therapy & bispecifics: 12 papers and 10 trials in 2021–2025, with $0 in counted grant money.
Pan-RAS / multi-KRAS: 11 papers and 6 trials in 2021–2025, with $0 in counted grant money.
CLDN18.2 testing: 5 papers and 1 trial in 2021–2025, with $0 in counted grant money.
Anti-CLDN18.2 antibodies: 2 papers and 1 trial in 2021–2025, with $0 in counted grant money.

Areas are approaches tagged by keyword rules; a record can be in more than one. Counted money here is grants tagged to the area, which in practice means NIH: foundation awards carry no area tags.

The field at a glance

All pancreatic cancer research in our records, year by year

Researchers published 4,936 papers tagged pancreatic cancer in 2025, up 12% from 2024. In 2026, partial (to date): 5,197 so far. 394 trials tagged pancreatic cancer started in 2025, down 5% from 2024. In 2026, partial (to date): 403 so far. NIH put $325.8 million (dollars counted) into grants tagged pancreatic cancer in fiscal year 2025, up 4% from 2024. In 2026, partial (to date): $282.9 million so far.

Papers published

4,0072020
4,6952021
4,5322022
4,3672023
4,4042024
4,9362025
5,1972026partial (to date)

papers tagged pancreatic cancer, by publication year.

Trials started

3232020
3792021
3572022
3802023
4142024
3942025
4032026partial (to date)

trials tagged pancreatic cancer, by start year.

NIH dollars counted

$260M2020
$270M2021
$292M2022
$307M2023
$315M2024
$326M2025
$283M2026partial (to date)

NIH dollars counted on grants tagged pancreatic cancer, by fiscal year (multi-year awards spread over their years, double counting removed).

These counts cover records tagged pancreatic cancer in our public sources, as of 2026-11-13. 96% of papers have a PubMed ID and 56% list every author. The latest year is always incomplete: journals and registries keep adding records for months. What counts as pancreatic cancer here: Every pancreatic cancer record from the source searches, plus trials with a stated pancreatic cohort, plus papers the field lane adds outside the title search.

Open trials right now

1,058 trials tagged pancreatic cancer are recruiting patients now, and 330 more are about to start (not yet recruiting). Of these, 49 recruiting and 14 not-yet-recruiting trials are Phase 3 (final-stage), the last step before a drug can be approved.

Open trials tagged pancreatic cancer, by phase and recruiting status
Phase	Recruiting	Not yet recruiting
Early Phase 1 (very first, small tests)	27	13
Phase 1 (first tests in people)	193	47
Phase 1/2 (first tests, then does it work?)	169	33
Phase 2 (does it work?)	163	71
Phase 2/3 (does it work, then final-stage)	19	5
Phase 3 (final-stage)	49	14
Phase 4 (after approval)	8	5
No phase (device, diet or procedure studies)	204	73
Observational (watching patients, no treatment given)	226	69
All open trials	1,058	330

Corrections and retractions

Change tracking began 4 November 2026, after this day, so retractions before then are not recorded by day.

Compiled each night from what changed in the public sources. Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 08:44 UTC. The date on each record is the source’s own (published, registered, results posted or registry updated); “indexed” or “recorded” is the day this knowledge base first held it. Every headline opens the underlying record; every identifier links to its source.