Key Oncology Developments to Take Center Stage at AACR 2025

The upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Chicago is poised to showcase groundbreaking research and potential game-changers in oncology treatment. With a focus on head and neck, lung cancer, and emerging drug modalities, the event promises to deliver insights that could reshape the pharmaceutical landscape.

Merck's Keytruda Shows Promise in Head and Neck Cancer

Merck is set to present detailed results from its Phase III KEYNOTE-689 study, evaluating the blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The study, which previously reported statistically significant improvements in event-free survival, is expected to have far-reaching implications for the broader HNSCC treatment landscape.

William Blair analyst Matt Phipps noted that the findings could impact other players in the space, including Merus's bispecific antibody petosemtamab and Exelixis's oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib. The magnitude of Keytruda's efficacy in this indication remains a key point of interest for industry observers.

Lung Cancer Breakthroughs on the Horizon

Boehringer Ingelheim's Beamion LUNG-1 trial, investigating the HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor zongertinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is garnering significant attention. AACR president-elect Lillian Siu described the trial as potentially "practice-changing." Previous Phase Ib data showed promising results, with a 66.7% objective response rate and tumor shrinkage in 94% of treated patients.

In a separate development, Summit Therapeutics and Akeso's bispecific antibody ivonescimab has demonstrated superiority over Keytruda in frontline NSCLC treatment. The candidate also outperformed BeiGene's PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra in progression-free survival for NSCLC patients.

Emerging Drug Modalities Take Center Stage

The oncology community is closely watching the evolution of VEGF-PD(L)1 bispecifics and trispecifics. Christiana Bardon, co-managing partner at MPM BioImpact, highlighted the surge in interest following ivonescimab's success, with at least 13 similar candidates slated for presentation at AACR. While most of these assets are still in preclinical stages, they hold the potential to disrupt the oncology landscape significantly.

The TIGIT inhibitor space, despite recent setbacks, remains an area of focus. Roche is expected to present comprehensive data from its SKYSCRAPER-01 study of tiragolumab in NSCLC, which previously failed to meet its primary endpoint. Industry experts are eager to glean insights that might inform future successes with this target.

Gilead and Arcus are set to present mid-stage data on their anti-TIGIT antibody domvanalimab combined with PD-1 therapy zimberelimab in HNSCC. This follows their November 2024 announcement of positive Phase III results in NSCLC, where the combination significantly improved progression-free and overall survival compared to zimberelimab alone or chemotherapy.

As the AACR 2025 meeting unfolds, these presentations are expected to provide critical insights into the future direction of oncology research and treatment, potentially reshaping clinical practices and market dynamics in the pharmaceutical industry.