The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) therapeutic landscape is experiencing unprecedented expansion, with over 80 companies actively developing more than 80 pipeline therapies according to DelveInsight's comprehensive 2025 pipeline report. This surge in development activity reflects the urgent need for effective treatments in one of the most challenging cancer types.
Major Pharmaceutical Companies Drive Late-Stage Development
Several major pharmaceutical companies are advancing promising therapies through late-stage clinical trials. In July 2025, Genentech announced a study evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjuvant autogene cevumeran plus atezolizumab and modified leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFIRINOX) versus mFOLFIRINOX alone in participants with resected PDAC who have not received prior systemic anti-cancer treatment and have no evidence of disease after surgery.
Revolution Medicines Inc. conducted a Phase 3 study in July 2025 designed to evaluate whether treatment with RMC-6236 will improve progression free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) compared to investigator's choice of standard of care chemotherapy in patients with metastatic PDAC who were previously treated with one prior line of therapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based or gemcitabine-based regimen.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC organized a study of sacituzumab tirumotecan (MK-2870) alone or with other treatments for certain gastrointestinal (GI) cancers that are either advanced (the cancer has spread to other parts of the body) or unresectable (the cancer cannot be removed with surgery).
Promising Pipeline Therapies Target Multiple Mechanisms
Onvansertib: Targeting Cell Cycle Vulnerabilities
Cardiff Oncology's Onvansertib represents a novel approach as an oral highly-selective PLK1 inhibitor. The company is evaluating Onvansertib in combination with standard-of-care (SOC) therapeutics in clinical programs targeting indications such as KRAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. These programs are designed to target tumor vulnerabilities in order to overcome treatment resistance and deliver superior clinical benefit compared to the SOC.
Nadunolimab: Addressing Immune Suppression
Cantargia's Nadunolimab is a humanised monoclonal antibody lacking fucose, being developed for the treatment of solid tumours, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer. Nadunolimab is a first-in-class anti-IL1RAP antibody, currently evaluated with standard of care chemotherapy or checkpoint inhibitor in five phase I/II clinical trials with a primary focus on PDAC and NSCLC. The therapy induces ADCC and blocks signaling of both IL-1α and IL-1β, counteracting the contribution of IL-1 to the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment and development of resistance to chemotherapy.
Zimberelimab: Precision Combination Approach
Arcus Biosciences' Zimberelimab is a monoclonal antibody that binds PD-1 restoring the antitumor activity of T-cells. The most advanced study with zimberelimab is in Phase 2 development for the treatment of first-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, evaluating zimberelimab in combination with domvanalimab, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, and etrumadenant, the first and only dual A2a/A2b adenosine receptor antagonist in the clinic. Zimberelimab is also being evaluated as monotherapy in a tumor agnostic, biomarker-selected Phase 1b trial for cancers with no approved anti-PD-1 treatment options.
Regulatory Milestones Signal Growing Momentum
Recent regulatory approvals demonstrate increasing momentum in pancreatic cancer drug development. In March 2025, Swedish immunotherapy firm Anocca received regulatory approval in four European countries to conduct its Phase I/II VIDAR-1 clinical trial. This study will target patients with KRAS-positive advanced pancreatic cancer and will start by testing ANOC-001, Anocca's main product designed to target the KRAS G12V mutation.
Anocca AB received approval for its Clinical Trial Application (CTA) from regulatory bodies in four European countries under the EU's unified framework, with Germany serving as the reference country. The trial, VIDAR-1, is a Phase I/II multi-product umbrella study focused on patients with mutated KRAS-positive advanced pancreatic cancer. VIDAR-1 will evaluate several products, beginning with Anocca's lead candidate ANOC-001, which targets the mutant KRAS G12V.
Diverse Therapeutic Approaches Span Multiple Development Stages
The pipeline encompasses diverse therapeutic modalities across various development stages. Leading companies such as Cardiff Oncology, XOMA, Alphamab, Cantargia, RenovoRx, Syntrix Biosystems, Eucure Biopharma, Panbela Therapeutics, Jeil Pharmaceutical, Elicio Therapeutics, Cend Therapeutics, SignalChem Lifesciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, REVOLUTION Medicines, Arcus Biosciences, ZielBio, Surface Oncology, Incyte Corporation, I-Mab Biopharma, Medicenna Therapeutics, and Tarveda Therapeutics are developing promising therapies.
The pipeline includes therapies such as Chiauranib, Albumin-paclitaxel Injection, Gemcitabine Injection, Zimberelimab, Quemliclustat, Onvansertib, Nanoliposomal irinotecan, and Leucovorin, representing various mechanisms of action and delivery approaches.
Clinical Success Demonstrates Treatment Potential
Notable clinical achievements have emerged from recent trials. In December 2024, Novocure announced that the pivotal Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial achieved its primary goal, showing a statistically significant increase in median overall survival (mOS) compared to the control group. The PANOVA-3 study assessed Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy used alongside gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The therapeutic assessment reveals products categorized under various routes of administration including oral, intravenous, and subcutaneous delivery methods. Molecule types span small molecules, cell therapy, peptides, polymers, and gene therapy approaches, reflecting the diverse strategies being pursued to address this challenging disease.
