Targeting Dyrk1B activity by the compound A (hereafter named RO5454948 inhibitor, see Figure 3), identified from a Roche generic kinase inhibitor library, in the pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc1, SU86.86, and AsPc1 and in the colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line SW620 resulted in increased apoptosis, indicated by cleavage of the apoptotic proteins PARP and Caspase-3, and increased ROS levels. This evidence concerns the gene DYRK1B and familial pancreatic carcinoma.