A phase 3 trial presented at a major oncology conference found that divarasib nearly doubled progression-free survival compared with existing treatments for a specific type of advanced lung cancer.
A clinical trial published by the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (a form of lung cancer that accounts for the large majority of cases) carrying a KRAS G12C genetic mutation lived markedly longer without their disease worsening when given divarasib, compared with those receiving current standard treatments.
Patients taking divarasib had a median progression-free survival (the length of time during treatment that a patient lives without the cancer growing) of 9.8 months. Those treated with either sotorasib or adagrasib — the two existing KRAS G12C inhibitors — had a median of 5.7 months. The results were presented at ESMO 2026, one of Europe’s leading cancer conferences.
KRAS G12C is a mutation — a change in the genetic code of a cancer cell — that drives tumour growth. Drugs that block it are known as KRAS G12C inhibitors. Until recently, KRAS was considered essentially undruggable, so the emergence of this class of treatment has been closely watched by oncologists.
The Krascendo trial is a phase 3 study, meaning it is the most advanced stage of clinical testing before a drug can be considered for regulatory approval. Phase 3 trials compare a new treatment directly against the current best option in a large patient group.
Divarasib is not yet approved for routine use in the UK. Any decision on NHS availability would rest with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which assesses whether new treatments offer sufficient benefit at acceptable cost.
Patients with lung cancer queries should speak to their GP or specialist team. General health concerns can be directed to NHS 111.
Source: @NEJM
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