Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Sasse's Trial Drug Shrinks Pancreatic Tumors, Sparks AI Warning

4/27/2026

38 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ben Sasse says his extra months on a trial drug let him warn Congress about AI.
Diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer in December 2025, he saw his tumors shrink 76% after daraxonrasib treatment.
The drug showed a median survival of 13.2 months, about double the six months from standard chemotherapy.
Sasse criticized parties for ignoring AI, national security and work, urging access to therapies under 2018 right-to-try law he co-sponsored.

History

Historical Context

President Donald Trump signed the federal Right-to-Try Act on May 30 2018 after Senate Republican Ron Johnson attached it to the FDA Reauthorization bill. The Goldwater Institute drafted the model law that by 2018 had been adopted in 41 states, letting terminal patients request Phase-I drugs without FDA approval. In December 2025, Senator Ben Sasse used the pathway to obtain daraxonrasib, illustrating the law’s growing clinical impact.

1 of 2

Story summary

Ben Sasse says his extra months on a trial drug let him warn Congress about AI.
Diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer in December 2025, he saw his tumors shrink 76% after daraxonrasib treatment.
The drug showed a median survival of 13.2 months, about double the six months from standard chemotherapy.
Sasse criticized parties for ignoring AI, national security and work, urging access to therapies under 2018 right-to-try law he co-sponsored.

1 / 2