Omaha Woman Among Nebraska’s First Patients to Receive Promising New Pancreatic Cancer Medication
Three years ago, Barbara Denise Lewis never imagined the journey that lay ahead.
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she underwent a Whipple procedure followed by chemotherapy and radiation. While the treatments
helped fight her cancer, they also took a tremendous toll on her body. “The chemo had me so sick,” Barbara remembers. “When I’d come home, I’d lose my appetite. I couldn’t eat. I’d be sick for days.”
Like many patients facing advanced pancreatic cancer, Barbara wondered what options would remain if standard treatments stopped working. Then, during a visit with her oncologist, Dr. Mary Wells at Nebraska Cancer Specialists, she learned about a program offering Daraxonrasib, an investigational targeted therapy available as a once-daily pill.
Without hesitation, Barbara wanted to try it.
Barbara became one of the first patients in Nebraska to receive Daraxonrasib through the expanded access program. Nebraska Cancer Specialists was the first site in the state to begin delivering the medication in June 2026 after working closely with the program sponsor and coordinating the many steps required to safely bring this investigational therapy to eligible patients.
For the NCS team, opening enrollment was only the beginning. Their focus was on moving quickly from eligibility review to treatment delivery so patients could access a promising option as soon as possible.
A Different Experience
Barbara began taking the medication just a few weeks ago, and the difference has been remarkable.
“I think this pill is a Godsend,” she says. “It doesn’t have me getting sick. It doesn’t keep me from eating. I approve of it 100 percent.”
While she still manages some expected side effects with guidance from her care team, Barbara says the experience has been dramatically different from chemotherapy. She’s using prescribed creams and mouth rinses to help prevent skin and mouth irritation, and she follows her treatment plan carefully every day.
Most importantly, she’s beginning to enjoy something she had been missing for a long time, her appetite.
“I’m eating more now,” she says with a smile. “I’m gaining a little weight back. I weigh myself every day, and I can see it coming back a pound here and there.”
A Promising New Approach for Pancreatic Cancer
Barbara’s experience is part of a larger movement in cancer care bringing promising new therapies to patients through research and expanded access programs.
Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) is an investigational oral therapy being studied for patients with pancreatic cancer and other cancers driven by changes in the RAS pathway. RAS is a protein that plays an important role in helping cancer cells grow and survive, and researchers have been working for decades to find ways to effectively target this pathway. Daraxonrasib is designed to inhibit RAS signaling and is being evaluated in clinical studies to better understand its safety and effectiveness.
Because pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, access to promising new therapies can be especially meaningful for patients who have limited treatment options.
What Is an Expanded Access Program?
Barbara is receiving Daraxonrasib through an Expanded Access Program (EAP). An EAP is a pathway that allows eligible patients with serious or life-threatening conditions to receive an investigational medication outside of a traditional clinical trial when other appropriate treatment options may be limited.
Unlike a standard prescription medication, an investigational therapy available through an EAP is still being studied and has not yet received full FDA approval. Patients must meet specific eligibility requirements, and access is coordinated through their treating physician and the medication’s sponsor. The process includes ongoing monitoring to help ensure patient safety and collect important information about the treatment experience.
For Barbara, this program provided an opportunity to receive a promising therapy while staying close to the people who matter most.
The medication has gained national attention as other patients, including former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, have shared their experiences receiving the medication during their pancreatic cancer journeys. Stories like Barbara’s and others across the country highlight the importance of continued research and the role that expanded access programs can play in bringing hope to patients facing difficult diagnoses.
For Barbara, the most meaningful measure of success is not just the treatment itself. It is what the treatment has allowed her to do. Most importantly, she has more time with the people she loves.
“My grandkids call me Granny,” Barbara says. “I want to be here for them.”
The hope, and the chance to spend another family dinner together, another evening watching television with her grandchildren, another ordinary day surrounded by people she loves, is exactly why access to clinical trials matters.
Hope Close to Home
Barbara lives in Omaha with her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren after her family encouraged her not to live alone during treatment.
For Barbara, having access to this investigational treatment in Omaha made all the difference. 
“If this trial had been somewhere else, I don’t know what I would have done,” she says. “I’m so glad it’s here.”
“At NCS, our philosophy has always been simple: when a patient has cancer, time matters. Our team of nearly 400 dedicated professionals focuses exclusively on cancer and blood diseases, allowing us to evaluate patients quickly and coordinate care efficiently. This commitment helps us bring promising therapies and clinical trials to patients as rapidly as possible, regardless of where they were diagnosed or where they have previously received care. Our true north is always what is best for the patient. We believe every Nebraskan deserves access to the best available treatment options and clinical trials, and we’re grateful that physicians across the region trust our team to help care for their most complex patients,” said Joel Michalski, president and medical oncologist at Nebraska Cancer Specialists.
Nebraska Cancer Specialists is actively treating patients with Daraxonrasib through this expanded access program, allowing eligible patients to receive promising investigational therapy without traveling hundreds of miles away from family and support systems.
Because NCS was the first location in Nebraska to begin delivering this therapy, patients from across the region, including individuals referred from other health systems and cancer organizations, have turned to Nebraska Cancer Specialists for access to this promising treatment option. The team’s ability to rapidly evaluate patients, coordinate the required approvals, and begin treatment reflects their commitment to making advanced cancer therapies available as quickly and safely as possible.
More Than Medicine
Barbara says the care she receives extends far beyond the medication itself.
“They’re very caring people,” she says. “They’re not just doctors and nurses, they care about you. You’ve got to feel loved.”
That compassion has given her confidence throughout every step of her cancer journey. She hasn’t missed an appointment in nearly four years.
“I’m not ready to go yet,” she says. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m supposed to do.”
“I am so happy to be a part of Barb’s story. Watching her and others benefit from this meaningful advance in pancreatic cancer care is a real joy. I’m proud to be part of a team that is excited to work hard and be persistent to open doors for the people in our care,” said Dr. Mary Wells, Medical Oncologist with Nebraska Cancer Specialists.
A Message for Other Patients
Barbara knows every patient’s experience is different, but she hopes others facing advanced pancreatic cancer won’t lose hope.
“Just try it,” she says. “You won’t know if you don’t try.”
Today, Barbara is enjoying more energy, a better appetite, precious time with her family, and something that can sometimes feel hard to find after a cancer diagnosis, hope. For her, that’s what this clinical trial has given her most.
“Staying alive,” she says simply. “Being around my grandbabies.”
And for Barbara, that’s everything.
For More Information on the Trial
To be eligible for the expanded access program, patients must have Stage IV pancreatic cancer that has stopped responding to chemotherapy. Those interested in enrollment are encouraged to call Nebraska Cancer Specialists at 402.334.4773 or visit NebraskaCancer.com to schedule an appointment.
