City of Hope Awarded $23.7 Million to Map Biomarkers Linked to Treatment Resistance in Patients With Common Lung Cancer
Clinical Trial Will Lead to Personalized Immunotherapies That Adapt to Evolving Tumors
LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center named a Top 5 "Best Hospital" in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, has been awarded an up to $23.7 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will help City of Hope create a bio map of tumor changes that cause immunotherapy resistance in advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
City of Hope's Beckman Research Institute researchers will also test new biomarker-guided therapies in near real time NSCLC, which accounts for 87% of all lung cancer cases. By shaping physicians' management of the disease, the new findings offer promise for improving treatment success and extending the lives of the 200,000 patients diagnosed each year in the United States.
A six-year clinical trial, enrolling 535 patients, will provide the cornerstone for the City of Hope project, which is part of ARPA-H's Advanced Analysis for Precision Cancer Therapy (ADAPT) program. The up to $142 million initiative combines the latest technologies with the nation's top expertise in tumor biology to deliver customized cancer care that adapts to a patient's disease as it evolves.
"Changes in cancer may occur over time, creating resistance to immunotherapy and complicating oncologists' ability to identify the next best treatment approach," said Ravi Salgia, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of City of Hope's Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, the Arthur & Rosalie Kaplan Chair in Medical Oncology, principal investigator with City of Hope's Aritro Nath, Ph.D., and Jyoti Malhotra, M.D., M.P.H. "Developing a biomap that detects mutations and other alterations early and predicts a patient's cancer trajectory will enable us to match treatments to evolving tumor biology and improve our patients' long-term survival."
Until now, cancer studies have focused on first-line therapy and lacked the flexibility to modify treatments as tumors grow. City of Hope will design its clinical trial to adjust treatment as resistance arises, with the goal of increasing progression-free survival by 50% in at least one patient group.
"Doctors have historically treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer with immune checkpoint inhibitors, sometimes combined with chemotherapy," explained Dr. Nath, City of Hope assistant professor with the Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research. "The main biomarker used to select immunotherapy, however, is not very reliable, with a patient response rate of less than 40%. We don't know why some patients become resistant to checkpoint inhibitors, and we have no good biomarkers to guide the choice of secondary treatments."
City of Hope intends to change that through meticulous monitoring and measurement of tumor changes in near real time.
Dr. Salgia and his colleagues will collect samples and detailed data at regular intervals from patients throughout the course of treatment. The researchers will monitor tumor trajectory and patients' response to treatment using state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques like liquid biopsies, single cell sequencing and radio imaging, relying on rapid turnaround times for comprehensive tumor measurements.
Instead of measuring a few data types at a single timepoint with limited predictive ability, the ADAPT program will take many measurements of diverse data over time and through multiple lines of treatments. The insights gleaned will help identify newly acquired resistant traits in tumors, predict the right therapies at each point in a patient's treatment and identify strategies that provide better long-term prognoses.
"We expect our collaboration with ADAPT will uncover predictive biomarkers that will enhance patient treatment and boost immunotherapy responses in non-small cell lung cancer," said Dr. Malhotra, associate professor with the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and interim division chief of Thoracic Medical Oncology, City of Hope, Los Angeles. "The information we gather will allow for informed adjustments in treatments and improve patient outcomes."
Equally important, the trial will leverage City of Hope's network of more than 35 clinical sites whose populations reflect the nation's lung cancer patients. The research team anticipates enrolling its first patients within 12 months.
With over 30 years of experience spearheading clinical trials and translational research, Dr. Salgia's leadership has been instrumental in uncovering key variants in lung cancer. He oversees more than 130 medical oncologists, including a nationwide team of 30 clinicians dedicated to lung cancer.
City of Hope investigators will fund the development, testing and matching of new biomarkers with therapeutic options that are now available or in a clinical trial. Algorithms and aggregate datasets developed under the program will be made publicly available, allowing scientists around the world to visualize trends and evaluate their implications and insights in near real time.
"We are incredibly excited to launch this ambitious project," said Dr. Salgia. "Our analysis of host and tumor biology will help clinicians counter the limits of current treatment choices and lead to better patient management strategies for advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer."
About City of Hope
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked a Top 5 "Best Hospital" in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope's uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope's growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope's affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250617226166/en/
Contacts
Letisia Marquez626-476-7593lemarquez@coh.org
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
ArriVent Announces Investor Event on Firmonertinib Path Forward for EGFR PACC Mutant NSCLC
Virtual webinar on June 23, 2025 at 8:00 am ET NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ArriVent BioPharma, Inc. (Company or ArriVent) (Nasdaq: AVBP), a clinical-stage company dedicated to accelerating the global development of innovative biopharmaceutical therapeutics, today announced the Company will host a virtual investor event to discuss the firmonertinib clinical program for the treatment of EGFR PACC mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on June 23, 2025 at 8:00 am ET. To register for the event, please click here. About ArriVentArriVent is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the identification, development, and commercialization of differentiated medicines to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancers. ArriVent seeks to utilize its team's deep drug development experience to maximize the potential of its lead development candidate, firmonertinib, and advance a pipeline of novel therapeutics, such as next-generation antibody drug conjugates, through approval and commercialization. About FirmonertinibFirmonertinib (formerly furmonertinib) is an oral, highly brain-penetrant, and broadly active mutation-selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor active against both classical and uncommon EGFR mutations, including PACC and exon 20 insertion mutations. In March 2021, firmonertinib was approved in China for first-line advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 19 deletion or L858R mutations and for patients with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR T790M mutation, otherwise known as EGFR classical mutations. Firmonertinib was granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations. Firmonertinib was also granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutations or HER4 mutations. Firmonertinib is currently being studied in a global Phase 3 trial for first-line NSCLC patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations (FURVENT; NCT05607550) and in a global Phase 1b study, which includes a cohort evaluating firmonertinib in patients with EGFR PACC mutations (FURTHER; NCT05364073). In addition, firmonertinib is also being studied in a clinical combination study targeting advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients with EGFR classical mutations, in partnership with Beijing InnoCare Pharma Tech Co., Ltd. About EGFR mutant NSCLCGlobally, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women. NSCLC is the predominant subtype of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 85% of all cases. Mutational activation of the EGFR is a frequent and early event in the development of NSCLC. EGFR mutations are divided into classical and uncommon. EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations are a group of uncommon EGFR mutations and constitute approximately 9% of all EGFR mutations. PACC mutations are another group of uncommon EGFR mutations and represent approximately 12% of all EGFR mutations. Patients with NSCLC whose tumors harbor uncommon EGFR mutations have significantly lower life expectancy with available therapies and represent an area of unmet medical need. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain disclosures that contain 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations or financial condition, business strategy and plans, activity of firmonertinib compared to available therapies, anticipated clinical milestones, including the top-line pivotal global Phase 3 data for firmonertinib in previously untreated NSCLC patients whose tumors contain EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, expansion of firmonertinib into a pivotal trial for 1L EGFR PACC mutant NSCLC and the timing of the first patient enrolled in such study, participation in the global Phase 3 registrational study of firmonertinib in adjuvant uncommon mutant NSCLC, anticipated IND filings for ADC candidates, and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'contemplate,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'plan,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'target,' 'will,' or 'would' or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on ArriVent's current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties that are described more fully in the section titled 'Risk Factors' in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2025 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and ArriVent undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Contact:Joyce AllaireLifeSci Advisors, LLCjallaire@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Medscape
17 hours ago
- Medscape
Key Abstracts in Early-Stage NSCLC From ASCO 2025
Dr Jonathan Goldman of the University of California, Los Angeles, highlights key abstracts in early-stage NSCLC from ASCO 2025. Dr Goldman begins with updated results from CheckMate 816, comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo + nivolumab. Median overall survival (OS) in the nivolumab arm remains unreached vs 73.7 months with chemo alone. Event-free survival (EFS) is durable at 59.6 vs 21.1 months, as evidenced by 5-year EFS of 49% in the combination arm. Next, he reviews the NeoADAURA trial evaluating neoadjuvant osimertinib ± chemo in resectable EGFR-mutated stage II-IIIB NSCLC. Major pathologic response was higher in osimertinib-containing arms (26% and 25%) vs 2% in the chemo arm, although long-term outcomes remain pending. Dr Goldman also discusses the SWOG/NRG S1914 trial of perioperative stereotactic body radiotherapy ± atezolizumab, which did not show improvements in OS or progression-free survival (PFS). He then highlights a prospective, low-dose CT screening study of the Mississippi Delta cohort, which showed a 4.7% lung cancer detection rate overall and 4.5% in patients with incidental pulmonary nodules — underscoring the utility of low-dose CT as a modality in early detection. In closing, he reports on two studies in small cell lung cancer. The IMforte study showed that lurbinectedin + atezolizumab in 1L maintenance improved PFS (HR, 0.54). In the DeLLphi-304 study, second-line tarlatamab improved OS compared to chemo (HR, 0.6), which is a potentially practice-changing update.
Medscape
2 days ago
- Medscape
Is It Worth Adding Chemo to ICI for NSCLC in Older Adults?
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are a cornerstone of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, but it's not clear whether adding chemotherapy to ICI — a common practice with younger patients with NSCLC — helps older ones. No randomized trial has directly compared stand-alone ICI with chemoimmunotherapy in geriatric patients with NSCLC. Without strong data supporting the combined approach, oncologists may stay away from offering chemoimmunotherapy to older patients, especially to those with multiple comorbidities, given concerns about increased toxicity. To address the evidence gap, investigators linked Medicare and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data to compare outcomes between 14,249 older patients with NSCLC who received ICI alone (pembrolizumab or nivolumab) and 3432 treated with ICI and platinum doublet chemotherapy. Patients were aged 74 years, on average, and at least 66 years. The median follow-up duration was 211 days. The team weighed the risks and benefits of chemoimmunotherapy vs stand-alone ICI to answer a key question: Is adding chemotherapy to ICI worth it for elderly patients with NSCLC? The findings were recently published in Jama Oncology . Benefits: Prolonged Survival in First Line In the upfront setting, chemotherapy add-on reduced patients' mortality risk by 34% compared with ICI alone. Benefits were slightly more notable in women (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62) than in men (HR, 0.72). Patients with autoimmune disease — who are often excluded from trials and who made up almost 20% of the study population — benefited the most, with a mortality risk reduction of 49%. A similar mortality benefit was observed in patients aged 66-75 years and those aged 76 years or older, 'which is notable given that immune senescence is hypothesized to lessen ICI treatment response in patients older than 75 years,' wrote the investigators, led by James Heyward, PhD, a pharmacoepidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. However, in the second or later lines of treatment, patients did not experience a significant survival benefit with chemoimmunotherapy (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.68-1.03). Risks: Increased Toxicity Adding chemotherapy in the first-line setting increased the risk for severe immune-related adverse events (AEs), which can include pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis, by 18%. Severe AEs were more common in men (HR, 1.29) than in women (HR, 1.08). Patients aged 76 years or older had the highest risk (30%) for severe immune-related AEs. However, older patients did not have an increased risk for severe immune-related AEs in second and later lines. The study did not consider chemotherapy toxicities. Is It Worth It? The team extrapolated from their data to calculate the harm-benefit trade-off of adding ICI to chemotherapy in older patients. The researchers found that for each extra year of life gained with first-line chemoimmunotherapy, the risk for severe immune-related AEs would be 0.31. Put differently, 31% of patients predicted to gain 1 extra year of life were likely to experience one severe immune-related AE. Past studies have found that patients are often willing to accept one severe AE for 1 year of added survival, which indicates that chemoimmunotherapy in the first line may be worth it for older patients with NSCLC. 'Given patient prioritization of survival benefits vs prevention of adverse effects, patients may prefer to initiate treatment with ICI + chemotherapy, albeit with careful follow-up for mitigation of severe immune-related AEs,' the investigators wrote. But, the authors noted, 'men experienced more harm and less benefit than women' in the first-line setting, which is consistent with previous research. And patients with an autoimmune disorder who received chemoimmunotherapy had a slightly higher risk for severe immune-related AEs (HR, 1.22) than those without a disorder (HR, 1.16). Still, the authors said, 'the reduction in mortality was also the highest for this group of patients, suggesting that the potential benefits of treatment may outweigh the potential harms.' In the second and later lines, the researchers found no increased risk for immune-related AEs with chemoimmunotherapy. Given the lack of statistically significant mortality benefit, the results suggest that stand-alone ICI are a better approach in this setting. Overall, this study provides 'a valuable contribution to an ongoing and complex discussion,' said medical oncologist Alessio Cortellini, MD, PhD, an immunotherapy and lung cancer specialist at Imperial College London, London, England, who was not involved in the research. However, it will be important to closely monitor patients for severe immune-related AEs. 'While adding chemotherapy to immunotherapy may be appropriate for selected older adults with NSCLC, I remain cautious about its widespread use in frail patients,' Cortellini added. 'Until we have dedicated trials in frail populations, the decision to use [chemotherapy-ICI]combinations in older adults should be highly individualized.'
