ESMO 2025 : Additional Highlights
Additional Highlights from ESMO 2025
Head and neck cancer
- Subcutaneous
amivantamab (OrigAMI‑4) in recurrent/metastatic HNSCC post‑PD‑1 and
chemotherapy showed encouraging activity and tolerability, supporting a
phase III OrigAMI‑5 trial of amivantamab + pembrolizumab + chemotherapy in
HPV‑unrelated disease.clinicaltrialsarena
- Early
data suggest PD‑1–based perioperative combinations beyond pembrolizumab,
including camrelizumab + chemotherapy regimens, may broaden neoadjuvant
options in locally advanced HNSCC.dpsoncology.blogspot
Upper GI / gastric–GEJ
- SHR‑1701,
a bifunctional PD‑L1/TGF‑β fusion protein, plus CAPOX significantly
prolonged overall survival vs CAPOX alone in high‑risk gastric/GEJ cancer,
with particular benefit in liver metastases and diffuse‑type histology.dailyreporter.esmo
- Claudin
18.2‑targeted agents such as givastomig (CLDN18.2‑directed
immunomodulatory antibody) combined with chemo‑immunotherapy achieved
objective response rates above 70% in CLDN18.2‑positive, PD‑L1‑enriched
gastric/GEJ cohorts, without dose‑limiting toxicities.oncodaily
Hepatobiliary
- MORPHEUS‑Liver:
the triplet of tiragolumab + atezolizumab + bevacizumab increased
objective response to about 40% in unresectable HCC in early‑phase work,
although this was not confirmed in the negative SKYSCRAPER‑14 phase III
trial.oncodaily+1
- Irpagratinib
(FGFR4 inhibitor) + atezolizumab produced response rates around 50–70% in
biomarker‑selected, FGF19‑positive HCC, a subset that accounts for roughly
one‑third of patients, illustrating the impact of molecular
stratification.oncodaily
Genitourinary oncology
- Durvalumab
+ BCG from POTOMAC has stimulated exploration of other IO +
intravesical combinations in high‑risk NMIBC, with several phase II
studies underway testing alternative PD‑(L)1 partners and schedules.urologytimes
- RNA‑defined
“cluster‑based” strategies in RCC (e.g., OPTIC‑style approaches) are being
used to match cabozantinib + nivolumab and other IO–TKI combinations to
specific transcriptional phenotypes, moving RCC toward more granular
precision medicine.oncodaily
- Nephron‑sparing
systemic approaches such as disitamab vedotin + tislelizumab in upper
tract urothelial carcinoma aim to delay or avoid radical
nephroureterectomy while maintaining oncologic control; early data support
ongoing phase II/III development.oncodaily
Cellular therapies and next‑generation IO
- IMA203CD8,
a next‑generation PRAME‑directed TCR T‑cell product, delivered an
objective response rate of ~46% and disease control of ~84% across heavily
pre‑treated PRAME‑positive solid tumours, with durable responses (>1
year median duration) in melanoma, ovarian cancer, and synovial sarcoma.finance.yahoo+1
- Toxicity
with IMA203CD8 was dominated by expected lymphodepletion‑related
cytopenias and mostly low‑grade cytokine release syndrome, with no
treatment‑related deaths, supporting progression to phase II dose‑expansion.finance.yahoo
Broader immunotherapy/combo trends
- Bispecific
and bifunctional antibodies such as ivonescimab (PD‑1/VEGF) and SHR‑1701
(PD‑L1/TGF‑β) are maturing into phase II/III trials, aiming to out‑perform
classical PD‑1 + VEGF or PD‑L1 + chemotherapy backbones.apices+1
- Novel
CTLA‑4 + PD‑1 combinations (e.g., botensilimab + balstilimab) have
delivered approximately 39% two‑year survival in highly pre‑treated,
checkpoint‑refractory solid tumours, indicating potential tumour‑agnostic
activity.apices
- In
SCLC, chemo‑immunotherapy followed by durvalumab + ceralasertib achieved
high response (≈70%) and encouraging 1‑ and 2‑year survival, prompting
interest in DNA‑damage response–IO combinations in other “immune‑cold”
tumours.bigtencrc
AI, biomarkers and trial‑design directions
- ESMO’s
first position statements on AI‑based biomarkers and the ELCAP consensus
on large language models outline quality criteria, validation principles,
and guardrails for integrating AI into clinical decision‑making and trial
workflows.dailyreporter.esmo
- Early
ctDNA work beyond bladder cancer suggested that current assay sensitivity
in some tumour types (e.g., colon) may be insufficient for routine de‑escalation,
highlighting the need for technical refinement and tumour‑specific
thresholds.dailyreporter.esmo
- Detailed
analyses of MSI‑H/MMRd tumours showed that Lynch‑syndrome–associated
cancers achieve the longest‑lasting immunotherapy benefit, and that tumour
type and underlying genetic mechanism both shape response, going beyond a
simple “MSI‑H = IO‑sensitive” paradigm.mskcc
