My Watchlist for #ASCO2023

With the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting kicking off at the end of this week, our team at Thermo Fisher Scientific is looking forward to reconnecting with our partners and customers in Chicago in just a few days. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is always one of the most exciting conferences of the year for new oncology data and findings, and this year promises to be no different. Here are three things I’m looking forward to hearing more about coming out of this year’s meeting:

1.     Personalized cancer vaccines – Moderna is presenting new research on its personalized mRNA cancer vaccine trial with Merck. The investigational vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer returning when combined with KEYTRUDA, an approved immunotherapy for certain cancers. At ASCO, Moderna will present data on survival results from the vaccine’s Phase 2 trial and insights on minimal residual disease (MRD) as a biomarker for the drug. 

Personalized cancer vaccines are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential for mRNA as an exciting new therapeutic modality. After collaborating with Moderna to manufacture the company’s mRNA-based vaccine for COVID-19, Thermo Fisher announced a long-term strategic collaboration to enable large-scale manufacturing for Moderna’s mRNA pipeline. We are excited to continue to collaborate with Moderna and our other biopharma partners developing mRNA vaccines and therapies to help prevent and treat a multitude of diseases, including cancer. 

2.     Improving survival rates for patients with lung cancer – EGFR is one of the most common mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and patients with EGFR mutations often have no smoking history. At ASCO, AstraZeneca is expected to present strong data from its phase 3 clinical trial on improved survival for patients with early-stage EGFR-mutated lung cancer treated with Tagrisso as an adjuvant therapy. 

The FDA first approved Tagrisso as an adjuvant therapy for NSCLC in 2020 and Thermo Fisher is working closely with AstraZeneca to develop a companion diagnostic for Tagrisso so more patients can benefit from the innovative treatment. The collaboration is leveraging our Oncomine Dx Express Test on the Genexus Dx System, which provides rapid next-generation sequencing (NGS) results to help match patients with the right therapy right away. 

Early access to the most effective therapy is critical for patients with NSCLC, who are often diagnosed at later stages when their cancer has already spread. Our research with Integra Connect, which we’ll co-present at ASCO, suggests early, rapid genomic testing can improve therapy selection and patient outcomes. 

3.     Promising data for challenging drug targets – The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting is often a preview for ASCO. This year at AACR, researchers discussed progress over the last 30 years toward beating KRAS, known as the undruggable target because of its unusual shape. Advances have included development of pan-KRAS inhibitors and research combining KRAS-targeted therapies with immunotherapies. At ASCO, I expect we’ll hear additional data on these promising new treatments. 

Precision medicine therapies are transforming how we treat cancer and we are working alongside our partners to continue to advance research, development and diagnostics for these life-saving treatments. To learn more about our vision for making personalized, affordable cancer treatments available to everyone who needs them, please visit our Oncology Stories page. And if you’re attending ASCO, we look forward to seeing you there!