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A new lung cancer drug is turning heads. The phase III Krascendo 1 trial found that divarasib, a next-generation KRAS G12C inhibitor, slashed the risk of death by 44% and nearly doubled progression-free survival compared to existing approved drugs. Researchers are calling it a new standard of care for KRAS G12C-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
A next-generation cancer drug is rewriting the playbook for KRAS G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The phase III Krascendo 1 trial — the first randomized head-to-head comparison of a next-gen KRAS inhibitor against approved first-generation agents — found that divarasib significantly outperformed sotorasib (Lumakras) and adagrasib (Krazati) on every major endpoint. Results were published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the ESMO congress in Madrid.
Divarasib also showed a more favorable safety profile, with fewer serious treatment-related adverse events and lower rates of hepatotoxicity, though gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea were more common — though mostly mild and manageable.
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Why it matters: With first-generation KRAS inhibitors offering only modest efficacy, divarasib represents a meaningful leap forward for a patient population with limited options. Researchers are calling it a potential new standard of care — and oncologists are already pushing for broader patient access.
