Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

- Locally advanced or metastatic disease

- Measurable disease, defined as at least 1 lesion measurable by RECIST criteria

Exclusion criteria:

- Brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- WHO performance status 0-2

- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3

- Creatinine < 1.5 times normal

- Transaminases < 2 times normal (5 times normal if liver metastases)

- Total bilirubin < 1.5 times normal

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

- Pregnant or nursing

- Intestinal occlusion

- Prior inflammatory intestinal disease

- Crohn's disease

- Hemorrhagic rectal colitis

- Peripheral neuropathy > grade 2

- Other severe illness, including any of the following:

- Unstable cardiac disease, even if treated

- Psychological or neurological disease including dementia

- Uncontrolled active infection

- Other severe illness that would compromise study participation

- Impossible to receive study therapy due to geographical, social, or psychological
reasons

- Other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma
in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 6 months since prior chemotherapy or radiochemotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and/or surgery

Exclusion criteria:

- Prior therapy for advanced disease

- Prior inhibitors of kinase signaling (e.g., ras/raf, MEK, AKT, mTOR, or farnesyl
transferase)

- Prior inhibitors of angiogenesis (e.g., bevacizumab)

- Prior organ graft or allogeneic transplantation

- Prior extensive intestinal resection

- Concurrent participation in another therapeutic study

- Concurrent inductors of CYP3A4 (e.g., barbiturates, anti-epileptics, or rifampicin)