Public supports scientist with €2.5 million to develop cure for pancreatic cancer

A groundswell of public support has helped raise more than €2.5 million to back Spanish scientist Dr. Mariano Barbacid’s efforts to develop a potential cure for pancreatic cancer, with donors around the world contributing to a fundraising drive aimed at advancing his work toward human clinical trials.

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The funds have been raised through a campaign led by the Fundación CRIS Contra el Cáncer, which is backing Barbacid’s research into a promising triple‑drug therapy that, in laboratory studies, has completely eliminated pancreatic tumours in mice without significant side effects.

The results of that work were published in the scientific journal PNAS and have attracted global attention due to the aggressive nature of pancreatic cancer and the limited treatment options currently available.

While laboratory success does not guarantee human cures, the early findings have ignited hope among researchers and the public alike.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of the disease: in Spain alone, more than 10,000 cases are diagnosed annually, and five‑year survival rates remain in the single digits.

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Despite the encouraging preclinical data, Barbacid has stressed that substantial additional funding will be needed before human trials can begin. Estimates suggest that roughly €30 million may be required to bridge the gap from laboratory research to clinical testing in people.

This latest fundraising campaign, which opened in early February 2026, quickly drew widespread public contributions. According to the fund’s organisers, tens of thousands of donors have given small and large gifts alike, collectively pushing the total past €2.5 million, with the goal of reaching the roughly €3.5 million needed for the next phase of pre‑clinical work.

The outpouring of support highlights both the urgency of tackling a cancer with historically poor outcomes and the willingness of ordinary citizens to contribute to scientific research when traditional funding sources fall short.

Barbacid, a veteran cancer researcher renowned for discovering the first human oncogene decades ago, leads the Oncology Experimental group at Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO).

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His work on this novel therapy aims to attack pancreatic tumours from multiple angles, potentially overcoming the resistance that limits the effectiveness of many existing treatments.

Researchers say that much work remains, but the effort represents a hopeful new chapter in the long battle against pancreatic cancer.