Patients and doctors praise a revolutionary drug for pancreatic cancer that extends the lives of patients

A pancreatic cancer patient in Florida says he is seeing promising results from a new pancreatic cancer drug, giving him more time with his family while he battles the disease. But getting the medicine wasn't easy. CNN's Randy Kaye caught up with him to find out more details.

In August 2025, Russ Reid celebrated being cancer-free. But just four months later, Ras's pancreatic cancer returned, and this time it had spread to his liver and intestines. Reid says his mutation of the disease is very aggressive, "the most aggressive mutation associated with pancreatic cancer."

He tried chemotherapy, but nothing worked. Then news spread of a brand-new drug called Rasonic, which showed promising results, but had not yet received FDA approval.

His wife, Marnie Reed, was devastated. Her father died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 63, the same age her husband, Russ, was when he was diagnosed with the disease. “I was determined that this would not happen again,” she says. So she took action, sharing the story of her husband's battle with cancer and his inability to get the new medication on social media.

Marnie says the news spread widely, and the FDA called the house. Eventually, Ras obtained the drug through the US Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access Program. He described it as "hope in a bottle."

Ras says that within just 12 days of starting the new medication, his pain was gone. But the side effects of the rash were “difficult” for him, as it spread to his face, torso, arms and legs, but he is still grateful for the medication.

The drug "is not a cure, but it is a step in the right direction," explained Dr. Jesús Fabregas, an oncologist at Memorial Cancer Institute. He added: "I would like to give this medicine to every patient with pancreatic cancer."

Rasonic is now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, but is only available to patients with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.