PHILADELPHIA, PA, September 1, 2026. – Jefferson Health's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center has become the first health system in the region to offer patients expanded access to daraxonrasib. Through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access Program (EAP), Jefferson activated participation in the clinical trial in just 14 days, reflecting the organization's commitment to making innovative therapies available to patients with serious and life-threatening conditions as quickly and safely as possible.
The trial, which launched at Jefferson on June 17, 2026, is evaluating whether daraxonrasib, an oral medication, can improve progression-free survival and overall survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer when compared with standard chemotherapy. Eligible participants include adults age 50 and older who have metastatic pancreatic cancer and have previously received one line of treatment with either a 5-fluorouracil-based or gemcitabine-based regimen.
"This trial is a significant step toward successfully treating one of the deadliest forms of cancer," said Andrew Chapman, DO, Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Executive Vice President of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health. "Clinical trial data has shown that median survival nearly doubled among patients who received the drug in the Phase III study, offering new hope to individuals and families facing advanced pancreatic cancer."
Metastatic pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with limited therapeutic advances over the past two decades. By participating in the Expanded Access Program, Jefferson is helping eligible patients gain access to a promising investigational treatment while broader regulatory review and approval processes continue. Jefferson Health's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center is actively pursuing preclinical research to identify molecular targets for future therapies and currently has seven clinical trials open to patients that are in Phase II and beyond.
Trial Available Across Jefferson Health:
As the largest cross-enterprise oncology collaboration in Jefferson's history, the trial is available at eight locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey:
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.
Jefferson Asplundh Cancer Pavilion, Willow Grove, Pa.
Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.
Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Allentown, Pa.
Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Bethlehem, Pa.
Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, Turnersville, N.J.
The broad availability of the trial underscores Jefferson's commitment to expanding access to cutting-edge cancer therapies across the communities it serves, ensuring more patients can benefit from the latest advances in oncology closer to home.
About Jefferson :
Jefferson is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, the College of Business, the College of Fashion & Textiles, and the College of Architecture, Design & Engineering, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 11 colleges and one school offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,700 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 33 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans, through Health Partners Plans Inc., is a not-for-profit managed healthcare organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years.
Media Contact: Irene Contreras Reyes, Irene.contreras@jefferson.edu, 267-303-2984