Ben Sasse discusses Stage IV pancreatic cancer and experimental drug trials
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 7
Ben Sasse discusses Stage IV pancreatic cancer and experimental drug trials
6 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 7
Sasse, 54, said he was diagnosed in December, given three to four months to live and joined an MD Anderson trial in Houston in early January.
He said the Revolution Medicines drug daraxonrasib targets a KRAS mutation, helping extend his survival to nearly five months despite severe side effects including bleeding and skin damage.
In the interview, the former senator also criticised Senate grandstanding, urged higher-education reform and warned AI could accelerate pressure for universal basic income.
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From Death Sentence to Hope: Ben Sasse’s Dramatic Response to Daraxonrasib in Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer
Overview
In late 2025, former Senator Ben Sasse was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and given only months to live. Defying the odds, he joined a clinical trial for daraxonrasib, a revolutionary drug that targets the active KRAS mutations driving most pancreatic cancers. Within months, his tumors shrank by 76%, though he faced severe side effects like a painful rash. Daraxonrasib’s phase 3 trial confirmed its breakthrough potential, nearly doubling patient survival compared to chemotherapy and prompting early trial stoppage and FDA expanded access. Experts hail it as a transformative advance, offering new hope for pancreatic cancer and other KRAS-driven tumors, despite challenges like treatment resistance and side effect management.