ASCO 2026: An Update on Research

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability; Flickr

The 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting was a notable one for pancreatic cancer research.

The highlight of the meeting, held in Chicago, Illinois, from May 29 to June 2, 2026, was the presentation of the results from the phase III RASolute 302 trial, which received well-deserved accolades due to its significant and unprecedented findings—the investigational drug daraxonrasib significantly improved survival in patients with previously treated metastatic disease. However, this was not the only important pancreatic cancer research news to come out of the 2026 meeting. The event also showcased pancreatic cancer research focusing on targeted therapies, immunotherapies, earlier detection, and more. Here is more information about some of the other work presented at the meeting. As always, we will cover these findings more in depth in the upcoming months.

Targeting the MAPK Pathway

Clinical oncology company Immuneering presented promising phase IIa clinical trial data for their investigational drug atebimetinib when combined with modified gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. The trial is testing the combination as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Atebimetinib targets the MAPK pathway, a signaling pathway that is often hyperactive in pancreatic cancer patients. The drug is designed to inhibit the pathway.

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The phase IIa results highlighted survival outcomes from an expanded cohort of 55 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Among the 50 patients whose response could be measured, the confirmed objective response rate was 36 percent and the disease control rate was 82 percent. Among the full cohort of 55 participants, median overall survival was 17.3 months and median progression-free survival was 8.3 months. In the 43 patients who had RAS mutations detected in their circulating tumor DNA, the objective response rate was 40 percent and the disease control rate was 86 percent. Nearly 85 percent of patients were weight stable or gained weight at three months. The company has just launched a global, randomized phase III trial, MAPKeeper 301, to further evaluate the drug combination versus chemotherapy alone.

Targeting Claudin 18.2

Claudin 18.2 is a cell membrane protein that has emerged as an important biomarker in some gastrointestinal cancers. At the ASCO meeting, a presentation described results from an early-stage phase Ib/II trial testing the antibody QLS31905, which targets Claudin 18.2 and CD3, in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with untreated advanced pancreatic cancer. The combination demonstrated an objective response rate of 59.8 percent and a disease control rate of 89.0 percent. The trial noted encouraging anti-tumor activity even in patients with lower levels of Claudin 18.2 expression. The trial included 88 patients with pancreatic cancer and 43 patients with gastric cancer.

CA 19-9 Surveillance Testing for High-Risk Individuals

A CA 19-9 test measures the amount of the CA 19-9 protein in a blood sample. High levels of CA 19-9 can be a sign of certain cancers of the digestive tract, including pancreatic cancer. Researchers evaluated the use of CA 19-9 testing as part of pancreatic cancer surveillance protocols for high-risk individuals. Data demonstrated that blood-based biomarkers like CA 19-9 can often signal abnormalities before imaging findings are visible. The researchers highlighted the need for prospective, longitudinal assessment. Because CA 19-9 levels can be falsely elevated by benign conditions like jaundice, regular or baseline monitoring is being studied to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Liquid Biopsy for Earlier Detection

ClearNote Health presented new multi-cohort validation data for its Avantect® Pancreatic Cancer Test. In an independent validation cohort of 1,445 individuals with multiple risk factors, including type 2 diabetes, family history, and genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer, the test demonstrated 82.6 percent overall sensitivity. It also showed a 76.8 percent sensitivity for early-stage (stages I–II) disease, and 97.5 percent specificity. Two additional validation cohorts totaling 338 individuals showed consistent performance in individuals with for new onset type 2 diabetes.