To the Editor: recent pancreatic cancer trials

Oct 06, 2026

Everyone in the cancer community knows how devastating is pancreatic cancer. It’s typically not caught until late stages, usually leading to limited treatment options and a very low survival rate. But at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, evidence was presented that lead to a standing ovation: A new pancreatic drug’s clinical trials have doubled survival rates.

This is tremendous news for the cancer community, and continues recent progress against pancreatic and many other types of cancer. The ecosystem where drugs are researched, developed, and given rigorous trials continues to yield results. It often takes several years of clinical trials, and billions of dollars in scientific investment before these treatments can make it to the patient. The process and our life science landscape are what makes Massachusetts and the United States a leader in biotech innovation.

It is also why policymakers should avoid proposals that remove incentives for researchers and biotech companies to advance these groundbreaking medications.

Price control policies like “Most-Favored-Nation” would absolutely jeopardize positive developments and endanger all the progress our country has made.

As policymakers debate changes to our health care system, we ask that they prioritize patients’ access to breakthroughs and treatments, and the promise for future treatments that do not yet exist.

Sincerely,

Brock N. Cordeiro

Dartmouth, MA 02748-1261