From April 17-22, 2026, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) held their annual meeting in San Diego, CA. The AACR Annual Meeting brings together clinicians, researchers, and health-care professionals to discuss the latest advancements in cancer treatment and research. Dr. Vinod Balachandran MD, the Director of the Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center provided exciting, updated results for a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating a therapeutic messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for pancreatic cancer. 

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common form of pancreatic cancer and has only a 13 percent 5-year survival rate. While surgery can potentially cure early-stage disease, many patients see recurrence of their tumors even after surgery and chemotherapy. This highlights the urgency for new treatment strategies to enhance the response of patients diagnosed with resectable PDAC. 

One treatment that has been transformative lung cancer and melanoma is immunotherapy. Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system to fight tumor cells; the most widely effective approach has been checkpoint inhibition (anti-PD1/anti-PDL1/anti-CTLA4 therapies). Checkpoint inhibition has so-far been ineffective for pancreatic cancer, but promising early results are being reported for a different immunotherapy approach called a “cancer vaccine.” 

Dr. Balanchadran is the principal investigator for a phase 1 clinical trial evaluating a messenger RNA (mRNA) cancer vaccine called autogene cevumeran in patients diagnosed with resectable PDAC. Started in December 2019, 16 patients were treated with the mRNA vaccine in combination with atezolizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor, and the chemotherapy FOLFIRINOX after surgery to remove their tumor. Dr. Balanchardran’s presentation provided an update on these 16 patients up to 6 years after their treatment. In 50% of patients (8 out of the 16) treatment activated tumor-specific T cells and of those 8 patients, 7 patients (87%) are still alive 4-6 years after treatment. 

While these results are encouraging, the size of this trial was small and needs to be expanded. Based on the strength of these results, a phase 2 clinical trial has been initiated by Genentech in collaboration with BioNTech, to continue to evaluate the potential of autogene cevumeran for PDAC patients. 

What is a cancer vaccine?

A vaccine is a substance used to train or teach a person’s immune system to respond to a specific disease or pathogen. The immune system consists of red and white blood cells. There are multiple types of white blood cells, and each has a specific role to play in an immune response. The role of one type of these white blood cells, the T cells, is to recognize foreign signals (antigens) and trigger an immune response.  

Tumor cells accumulate genetic mutations as they replicate and these mutated genes produce proteins that can be recognized as foreign signals (called neoantigens) by T cells. In many patients with cancer, T cells cannot detect the neoantigens produced by tumor cells and this is commonly seen in pancreatic cancer. A cancer vaccine can introduce neoantigens to a patient’s T cells in a way that can train them to detect and then destroy tumor cells. 

What is autogene cevumeran?

Autogene cevumeran is the name of the personalized cancer vaccine now being developed by BioNTech and Genentech/Roche, also called BNT122 and RO7198457. It is generated from the mutations found in a patient’s own tumor. Patients’ tumors were removed and the DNA from the tumor was sequenced. An algorithm predicted and selected neoantigens specific to each patient to be used as a vaccine. Up to 20 peptides were chosen based on their predicted ability to train T cells, a type of white blood cell, to recognize and destroy tumor cells. 

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) held their annual meeting in San Diego, CA from April 17-22, 2026. The AACR Annual Meeting gathers cancer researchers from around the world to share and discuss, not just clinical results, but also the basic and translational research that fuels new therapeutic innovations. Mara Sherman, PhD, an Associate Member of Cancer Biology & Genetics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), a 2017 Seed Grant Awardee and recent addition to the Hirshberg Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, showcased her lab’s research on how cells in a healthy pancreas suppress tumor development in a presentation entitled Identifying stromal barriers to pancreatic tumorigenesis.  

Dr. Sherman’s research focuses on how inflammatory non-tumor cells found in the tumor microenvironment support and aid in tumor growth and progression to potentially target these mechanisms for therapy. One focus of her lab is pancreatic stellate cells (PCSs), a type of stromal cells found in the pancreas. Her previously published work found that when PSCs become activated they regulate and nourish cancer cells to promote tumor growth and progression. Activated PSCs in the tumor microenvironment secrete factors that tumor cells can for growth and survival that can potentially be targeted therapeutically.

Her lab’s more recent research has turned the focus on PSCs in healthy pancreas to identify mechanisms they use to suppress cancer development. A May 2025 publication from her lab demonstrated that in healthy pancreas, PSCs secrete a protein called KITL. In pancreatic tumor models where KITL was genetically deleted, tumors grew earlier than in models with KITL expression and overall survival time was reduced. This work demonstrates the expression of KITL by PSCs is one mechanism by which cells in healthy pancreas are barriers to tumor initiation and progression and identifies a novel pathway for potential therapeutic benefit. Further investigation into other tumor suppressive mechanisms used by healthy tissues and how they break down during tumor initiation and progression may result in identifying other novel therapeutic pathways to explore.

See full publication in Cancer Discovery 

Revolution Medicines announced exciting results on three clinical trials evaluating daraxonrasib, their oral RAS inhibitor, that have the potential to transform treatment options for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PDAC is the most common type of pancreatic cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 13%. One reason for this low survival rate is that the majority of patients are diagnosed with advanced, metastatic disease with few treatment options currently available. New treatments with better outcomes for this patient population have the potential to be transformative.

On April 13th, 2026, they shared results from their Phase 3 clinical trial, RASolute 302, demonstrating an unprecedented survival benefit for patients with metastatic PDAC that had previously been treated with chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) nearly doubled for patients treated with daraxonrasib to 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for standard-of-care chemotherapy. These data will be presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in June 2026 and will be submitted to the FDA. Approval of daraxonrasib will be a much-needed new treatment for patients with metastatic PDAC who have failed standard chemotherapy and will improve care for patients with this devastating disease.

Results from two additional trials were shared April 21, 2026, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. In a presentation in the Minisymposium: Late Breaking Research Session, Dr. Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, Director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, shared results from their ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial, RMC-GI-102. Patients with newly diagnosed metastatic PDAC were treated with a combination of daraxonrasib with the chemotherapies gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. Antitumor activity was demonstrated with 90% of patients showing either stable disease or tumor regression. Additionally,  tumor reduction was seen in 58% of patients with 1 complete response. Importantly, the safety profile was similar to that of each therapy by itself. At 6 months, the progression free survival (PFS) was 84% and OS was 90%.

Preliminary data from RMC-6236-001, a Phase 1/2 clinical trial was also presented. This trial is investigating daraxonrasib as a stand-alone treatment for previously untreated patients with metastatic PDAC. While still early, the disease control rate (DCR) is 92% with an overall response rate of (ORR) of 47% with 1 patient having a complete response. The data from both trials support the recently initiated Phase 3 clinical trial, RASolute 303, evaluating daraxonrasib, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, in newly diagnosed metastatic PDAC patients. 

What is daraxonrasib?

Daraxonrasib is a RAS inhibitor; it binds RAS protein to block its function. RAS has 3 forms: KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS that control cell proliferation and survival. KRASis one of the most frequently mutated genes to cause cancer (see KRAS overview); mutated KRAS is found in more than 90% of PDAC tumors making it an appealing therapeutic target.

Daraxonrasib is a type of drug called a molecular glue; it binds the active form of RAS protein as well as a protein called Cyclophilin A to generate an inactive protein complex. While other RAS inhibitors are specific to the KRAS form of the protein or to specific mutations found in KRAS, daraxonrasib can bind all active forms of RAS, regardless of mutations present, and because of this ability has the potential to treat a range of tumor types outside of PDAC. 

Glossary:

Overall survival (OS):  The length of time from treatment initiation that a patient remains alive. Considered the gold standard for clinical trial endpoints.

Progression-free survival (PFS): The length of time from treatment initiation to when disease progresses. Usually using the RECIST 1.1 criteria for increase in tumor size around 20%. Commonly used as a primary end point in clinical trials 

RECIST 1.1 Criteria: A standardized method for determining disease progression or response in a clinical trial. Tumor size is measured by imaging at the start and then repeated over the course of treatment.  

Complete response (CR): All visible signs of cancer have disappeared due to treatment., frequently measured by imaging. 

Partial response (PR): Tumor size has decreased at least 30% from the initial tumor size but have not completely regressed due to treatment.

Stable disease (SD): When tumors haven’t increased or decreased in size more than 20% of initial tumor size. 

Disease control rate (DCR): The percentage of patients who have stable disease, partial response, or complete response  due to treatment.

Overall response rate (ORR): The percentage of patients who have a response (CR or PR) to treatment based on the RECIST 1.1 criteria. Unlike disease control rate, it does not include patients with stable disease. 

This spring, progress is taking shape across every part of our work. From advancing research to expanding programs that reach more patients than ever before, we are helping hope bloom. Across labs, clinics, and communities, your support is driving meaningful momentum at a critical time for pancreatic cancer research.

Together, we can advance research, expand what’s possible for patients, and build momentum that reaches further each day. Every step forward is made possible by your continued belief in this work. Thank you for being part of the progress we are creating together.

Since 1998, the Hirshberg Foundation has partnered with CancerCare to help families navigate the financial and emotional challenges that follow a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. With your generosity, we provide bi-annual grants that fund one-time financial assistance for low-income patients, alongside CancerCare’s free counseling, education, and case management. We are pleased to share year-end results and announce that our grant has been renewed for the first half of 2026.

Why Financial Support Is Critical at the Right Time

The cost of care for pancreatic cancer patients extends far beyond hospital bills. Even with insurance, patients face daily expenses that quickly become overwhelming: transportation to treatment, co-pays, home care, childcare, nutritional support, and basic household needs. For many families, these are not optional costs. They are the difference between continuing treatment or falling behind.

Research shows that individuals with lower incomes face significantly greater financial hardship, and patients with cancer are 71% more likely to experience serious financial strain within two years of diagnosis, sometimes forcing impossible choices between daily needs and staying on track with care.

Recent CancerCare Program data shows just how essential this support is. Between July and December 2025, 61 low-income pancreatic cancer patients received financial assistance, with nearly half of all grants covering co-pays, supporting basic transportation to treatment, home care, and critical imaging. These are not abstract expenses. They are the practical realities patients face every day. And for many, even a modest grant can mean the difference between missing an appointment and staying on track with care.

Real Lives, Real Impact

Behind every grant is a person navigating one of the most difficult experiences of their life. With your support, these patients are not facing it alone.

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.

2025 Year-End Program Updates

The CancerCare program continues to reach patients across the country, providing meaningful support where it is needed most.The latest program data reinforces what we see every day: Insurance alone is often not enough. Financial toxicity is a real and growing challenge, and programs like this ensure that patients are not forced to navigate it alone.

During the second half of 2025:

Looking Ahead: Continued Support, Lasting Impact

Thanks to the generosity of our donor community, the Hirshberg Foundation continues to fund this vital partnership with CancerCare, ensuring that patients facing pancreatic cancer have access to immediate, compassionate support when they need it most. If you would like to make this lifeline possible for more families, we invite you to donate today.

If you or someone you love needs assistance, please contact CancerCare to learn about eligibility and available services.

Sources

• National Cancer Institute: Cancer Care Costs and Economic Burden in the United States
• National Cancer Institute: Financial Burden of Cancer Care (Annual Report to the Nation, 2021)
• NIHCM Foundation: Insights on Cancer Costs and Financial Hardship