The FDA has approved Rasonque, a new daily pill for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, marking a major breakthrough in treatment for the deadly disease.

The drug, developed by Revolution Medicines, targets the RAS protein, which drives tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.

In clinical trials, patients taking Rasonque lived an average of 13.2 months, nearly twice as long as patients receiving standard chemotherapy, who lived about 6.7 months.

Doctors say the approval could significantly change how advanced pancreatic cancer is treated, although the drug is not considered a cure, NPR has reported.

Rasonque will initially be available to patients whose cancer has progressed after previous treatment, offering new hope for people who have historically had very limited treatment options.