New pill approved for pancreatic cancer patients who have had chemotherapy
Piedmont Columbus Regional physicians say Rasonque is a step forward, not a cure
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Pancreatic cancer patients have another treatment option in Rasonque, a pill that doctors say is more effective than chemotherapy.
Rasonque aims to block tumor growth. The drug is for patients who have already received at least one round of chemotherapy before taking the pill. It was approved July 26, and some patients began receiving it as soon as August.
Physicians at Piedmont Columbus Regional said the drug is a step in the right direction. One doctor said 40 years ago there was no way to treat this type of cancer besides chemotherapy. The doctor said the pill is giving health care professionals and patients hope for the future.
Local patients respond to treatment
Ted Metcalfe is one of the first patients in Columbus approved for Rasonque, a pill aimed at slowing and stabilizing pancreatic cancer.
“I felt better and I felt stronger and I cannot say enough about this because the chemotherapy was just not working,” Metcalfe said.
Metcalfe said the medication has given him strength back. “At one point I couldn’t walk on my own, now I’m to the point where I use a walker but only when I have to,” he said.
Dr. Deepti Kantamani, an oncologist, said she is happy to see patients respond to the drug. “I can’t even explain how ... thankful and happy I am to see our patients respond like this,” Kantamani said.
Kantamani said Rasonque acts on the mutation. “It puts a halt to unchecked cell cycle division,” she said.
What the drug maker says
According to the website of Revolution Medicines, the company responsible for the drug, Rasonque has allowed patients to live two times longer compared to chemotherapy. The website also says the drug has helped shrink and stabilize patients’ tumors and doubled the time people live without their cancer growing.
Pharmacists with Piedmont Columbus Regional said the drug is not a cure, only another treatment.
Amber Keeton, pharmacy operations manager, called the drug “a very important step forward.”
“We are giving patients more time with their families and more hope,” Keeton said.
Metcalfe said he does not know what he would have done if the pills had not worked. “We would have to go to a completely different plan,” he said.
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