KRAS Excellence Initiative

The KRAS Excellence Initiative (KRAS-X) at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center is redefining the standard of care for people with KRAS-mutated cancers. The initiative brings together doctors and researchers to better understand these cancers, develop new treatments, and help patients access promising discoveries as quickly as possible. Our experts provide access to the most innovative and promising treatments and clinical trials in the field.

What Is KRAS?

KRAS (pronounced KAY-ras) is a gene found in every cell of the body. It provides instructions for making a protein that helps control how cells grow, divide, and survive. Under normal conditions, KRAS turns on when the body needs new cells and turns off when growth is no longer required, ensuring healthy and balanced cell development.

A KRAS mutation occurs when there is a change in the gene’s DNA. This alteration causes the KRAS protein to become stuck in the “on” position. As a result, cells receive constant signals to grow and divide, even when they shouldn’t. This uncontrolled growth can lead to the formation and progression of cancer.

KRAS mutations are among the most common cancer-driving genetic alterations, occurring in more than 20 percent of all cancers. They are most commonly found in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers.

How KRAS-X Advances Cancer Care

KRAS-X brings together clinical care and scientific discovery to rapidly deliver the most-advanced KRAS-targeted therapies to patients with KRAS mutations across cancer types.

We launched KRAS-X to ensure that everyone with a KRAS-driven cancer can benefit from innovative, personalized treatments. In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in understanding how KRAS mutations drive cancer growth, which has led to the development of several new targeted therapies for KRAS-driven cancers. KRAS-X harnesses this momentum to translate scientific breakthroughs into meaningful advances in patient care.

At NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, our cancer specialists, laboratory scientists, and clinical trial teams collaborate across multiple cancer types to design and conduct groundbreaking research. By studying how to improve KRAS treatments in the laboratory and transforming these discoveries into real-world treatment options, we ensure patients benefit from the latest advances in precision oncology.

Information for People With KRAS-Mutated Cancer and Their Providers

If you have been diagnosed with cancer that carries a KRAS mutation or have a patient who would like to learn more about the latest treatment options, the KRAS Excellence Initiative is here to help. Our team can connect you with leading clinical experts and provide trusted resources to support the care of KRAS-mutated cancers. We help people explore opportunities to participate in clinical trials and access emerging KRAS-targeted therapies.

For information on specific clinical trials, please visit our KRAS Clinical Trials page or email CancerTrials@NYULangone.org. You can also reach the Clinical Trials Office at Perlmutter Cancer Center by calling 212-263-4432.

For general inquiries about KRAS-X and how we may assist you, email us at DL_PCCKRASX@NYULangone.org.

Our Leadership

Meet the co-directors of KRAS-X, a team with deep clinical and scientific expertise.

Rajwanth Veluswamy, MD
Co-Director

Dr. Veluswamy is a medical oncologist who specializes in lung and other thoracic cancers, with a particular focus on KRAS-mutant cancers. He is a principal investigator in the development of novel targeted and immunotherapy combinations and serves on global steering committees for multiple industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials. By integrating translational science with early-phase clinical trials, Dr. Veluswamy’s work moves next-generation KRAS therapies from the lab to the clinic, benefiting people with KRAS mutations.

Paul E. Oberstein, MD
Co-Director

Dr. Oberstein is a medical oncologist specializing in cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. He serves as the section chief for GI cancers and as co-director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, where he leads clinical and translational research to advance new treatment strategies for patients. A principal investigator on multiple industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials, Dr. Oberstein is internationally recognized for innovative clinical trials that expand patient access to emerging therapies for KRAS-mutant GI cancers.

KRAS Clinical Trials

Learn more about our ongoing and upcoming KRAS-focused clinical trials.