Memorial Cancer Institute deploys new pancreatic cancer therapy

The initiative to bring the drug to Florida was spearheaded by Dr. Jesus Fabregas, director of the institute’s Gastrointestinal Malignancy Research Program. His team utilized the FDA’s compassionate use program to procure the therapy months before its commercial release. According to manufacturer Revolution Medicines, clinical trials indicated that patients using the drug achieved an average survival rate of 13 months, nearly doubling the 6.6-month average seen with standard chemotherapy.

Russell Reed, a patient diagnosed with Stage 2B pancreatic cancer in 2024, became the first recipient of the treatment at the facility this past July. Following unsuccessful rounds of surgery and chemotherapy, Reed reported a reduction in pain since starting the regimen. While Dr. Fabregas cautions that the drug is not a definitive cure, he describes the ability to inhibit the specific proteins driving tumor growth as a milestone that improves both longevity and daily quality of life for patients.