The therapy shrank tumors in some patients and delayed disease progression, marking a potential step forward for cancers with few targeted treatment options.

Setidegrasib is designed to attack a mutation known as KRAS G12D, which helps cancer cells grow and survive. Unlike most targeted therapies, which work by blocking a cancer-driving protein, setidegrasib degrades and removes the abnormal KRAS protein from inside cancer cells.

The KRAS G12D mutation is one of the most common genetic drivers of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, occurring in about 40% of patients. It is also found in about 5% of patients with non–small-cell lung cancer.