Rasonque Access Gap Forces $9,286 Purchase as FDA Approval Closes Early-Use Path
Updated
Updated · STAT · Sep 8
Rasonque Access Gap Forces $9,286 Purchase as FDA Approval Closes Early-Use Path
3 articles · Updated · STAT · Sep 8
Summary
$9,286.67 bought Juan Solano just seven Rasonque pills after FDA approval shut the expanded-access route his family had been using and insurer systems were not yet ready to cover the drug.
A 30-day manufacturer supply and one year of Aetna coverage came only after 61 calls in 48 hours, a GoFundMe appeal and an escalated review, exposing a launch-period gap for patients with fast-moving cancers.
Three days into treatment, Solano said her husband's pain disappeared after 18 months, though he was later hospitalized with a portal vein clot and hepatic encephalopathy as the family pinned its last hope on the drug.
Experts said the problem is common after oncology launches: early-access programs close at approval, while national drug codes, payer databases and formulary reviews can take weeks or months to catch up.
Rasonque, also called daraxonrasib, nearly doubled median overall survival to 13.2 months in pancreatic cancer, intensifying calls from advocates and oncologists for faster post-approval coverage.