THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION HONORS REVOLUTION MEDICINES FOR TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH IN PANCREATIC CANCER

Revolution Medicines receives inaugural Hope Through Science Award at annual gala, Inspiring Hope

NEW YORK, NY, May 8, 2025 – On Wednesday, April 30, the Lustgarten Foundation presented the inaugural Hope Through Science Award to Revolution Medicines at its annual gala, Inspiring Hope. This prestigious award celebrates the company’s groundbreaking efforts to advance treatments for some of the most lethal and complex cancers.

Revolution Medicines’ mission is to transform outcomes for patients with RAS-addicted cancers by discovering, developing, and delivering targeted, innovative therapies. At the forefront of their efforts is daraxonrasib (RMC-6236), a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor currently in clinical development. Daraxonrasib was designed to disrupt cancer-driving RAS signaling in tumors with mutated RAS genes—KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS, historically ‘undruggable’ oncoproteins. This innovation holds particular promise in pancreatic cancer, where mutated RAS is a driver of disease in greater than 90% of cases.

“Revolution Medicines exemplifies the power of bold science and collaboration in driving meaningful progress for patients,” said Linda Tantawi, CEO of the Lustgarten Foundation. “Their pioneering work targeting RAS-driven cancers brings real hope to the families affected by pancreatic cancer and the research community as a whole.” 

Daraxonrasib now plays a key role in the Conquering KRAS project, a collaborative research initiative led by the Lustgarten Foundation in partnership with Break Through Cancer, a foundation advancing cross-institutional research in difficult-to-treat cancers. This initiative focuses on accelerating discovery in pancreatic cancer research by zeroing in on inhibition of RAS in pancreatic cancer. The Lustgarten co-funded Conquering KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer Team will analyze patient blood and tumor tissue samples from a dedicated collaboration cohort within a clinical trial evaluating daraxonrasib in patients with pancreatic cancer, using advanced multi-omic and spatial profiling approaches to search for biomarkers able to predict tumor response and how cancer cells adapt to the therapy. In studying these biomarkers, researchers aim to define the biology of drug resistance and potential opportunities for combination drug strategies that may delay or overcome resistance. 

“This groundbreaking partnership brings together Lustgarten, Break Through Cancer, leading academic cancer centers and investigators, and RevMed—all united by a shared commitment to improving the lives of patients,” said Mark A. Goldsmith, MD, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Revolution Medicines. “This extraordinary collaboration is already producing important, new insights that may point to potential new treatment strategies for patients with pancreatic cancer.”

“Accelerating pancreatic cancer research is what we do and we how we make the greatest impact,” addedDavid Tuveson, MD, PhD, Chief Scientist at the Lustgarten Foundation and Cancer Center Director, Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. “This type of progress underscores how meaningful collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and visionary partners can drive real, tangible change for patients and their families.”

For 27 years, the Lustgarten Foundation has been a driving force for major advancements in pancreatic cancer research, boldly leading the way through hope and innovation, turning fear into action through education and empowerment. Once overlooked, this field is now a hub for groundbreaking discoveries and top scientific talent. With recent, devastating federal funding cuts, the Foundation remains laser-focused on fueling the most promising pancreatic cancer research, “progress depends on all of us—and on a strong, well-supported scientific enterprise. The Lustgarten Foundation can fill some gaps, but we cannot do it alone,” said Linda Tantawi. With the continued support of their dedicated community and collaborators, the Lustgarten Foundation is committed to transforming pancreatic cancer into a curable disease.