TAMPA, Fla. – The 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, set to convene from May 30 to June 3 in Chicago, stands as a pivotal forum for groundbreaking cancer research, showcasing innovations destined to reshape the oncology landscape. This year, the Moffitt Cancer Center emerges as a significant contributor, with its physician-scientists and investigators presenting new data and cutting-edge insights through more than 30 oral, rapid-oral, and poster presentations. The theme “Driving Knowledge to Action. Building a Better Future.” underscores a collective urgency in transforming laboratory discoveries into effective, real-world treatments that save and extend lives.
Central to Moffitt’s distinguished presence at the conference is a plenary session presentation on polycythemia vera, a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by excess red blood cell production. This session features results from the VERIFY study, a rigorously designed phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial exploring rusfertide’s therapeutic potential. Rusfertide, a hepcidin mimetic, represents a novel strategy aimed at reducing iron availability to malignant hematopoietic cells, thereby controlling erythrocytosis with fewer side effects compared to existing phlebotomy-based management. The data, delivered by Dr. Andrew Kuykendall, promises to deepen understanding of disease-modifying treatments and may herald a shift in standard care paradigms.
Moffitt also focuses heavily on melanoma and skin cancer during this meeting, with late-breaking abstracts revealing new frontiers in immunotherapeutic combinations. One such study investigates neoadjuvant pembrolizumab monotherapy versus its combination with vidutolimod, a TLR9 agonist designed to enhance innate and adaptive immune activation in high-risk resectable melanoma. Presented by Dr. Ahmad Tarhini, this phase II randomized trial probes the synergy between checkpoint inhibition and innate immune stimulation, potentially amplifying tumor infiltration of cytotoxic T cells and improving durable response rates, which remain critical therapeutic challenges in advanced melanoma management.
Complementing these findings is a pivotal randomized phase 2 trial led by Dr. Zeynep Eroglu, exploring double and triple regimens for BRAFV600-mutant melanoma brain metastases. Comparing encorafenib plus binimetinib combined with nivolumab against the established ipilimumab-nivolumab checkpoint blockade, this trial dives into optimizing systemic therapies that can breach the blood-brain barrier, an anatomical and pharmacologic hurdle that limits effective intracranial control in metastatic melanoma patients. The pursuit of enhancing intracranial efficacy while balancing toxicity profiles embodies a critical demand in neuro-oncology.
Expanding beyond melanoma, Moffitt’s renal cell carcinoma research uncovers promising combinations involving zanzalintinib, a potent RET kinase inhibitor, alongside nivolumab and optionally relatlimab—a LAG-3 checkpoint inhibitor. Presented by Dr. Jad Chahoud, these early results from the STELLAR-002 phase 1b expansion highlight how targeting multiple immune and oncogenic pathways concurrently may overcome resistance mechanisms inherent in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. This approach aligns with a broader oncology trend of multi-modal immunotherapy regimens designed to amplify antitumor responses.
Another significant area features head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), where Dr. Christine Chung reports updated findings on ficerafusp alfa combined with pembrolizumab from an open-label phase 1/1b expansion study. By exploiting a bispecific fusion protein that binds both CD123 and the interleukin-3 receptor, ficerafusp alfa could modulate tumor microenvironments and potentiate immune infiltration, thus augmenting the activity of checkpoint inhibitors in traditionally immunotherapy-resistant HNSCC subtypes.
Moffitt’s commitment to advancing Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer, is elucidated through a phase II neoadjuvant trial combining lenvatinib, a multikinase inhibitor, with pembrolizumab. Under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Brohl, this investigation seeks to capitalize on lenvatinib’s ability to normalize tumor vasculature and modulate immunosuppressive elements, thereby enhancing the efficacy of PD-1 blockade in this challenging malignancy.
Further precision in therapeutics is seen in research translating tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy’s potential in metastatic melanoma. Dr. Lilit Karapetyan’s study delves into infusion product characteristics predictive of clinical response, a crucial step toward refining cell therapy manufacturing and patient selection. Understanding phenotypic and functional biomarkers within TIL products stands to revolutionize personalized immunotherapy approaches, reducing variability and enhancing efficacy.
Among broader systemic topics, a unique presentation by Karun Neupane concentrates on recognizing the contributions of international medical graduates within ASCO’s framework, an often overlooked aspect of the clinical oncology ecosystem that profoundly influences research, education, and patient care diversity.
Researchers from Moffitt are poised not only to present at these sessions but also to engage globally via expert interviews. This accessibility underscores Moffitt’s role as both a research powerhouse and a collaborative hub, fostering dialogue that accelerates the translation of discoveries into clinical innovation. Scientific rigor combined with multidisciplinary expertise enables Moffitt to address the heterogeneity of cancer with novel therapeutic designs and comprehensive patient-centric care models.
As the cancer research community converges on Chicago, the advances represented by Moffitt Cancer Center’s contributions epitomize the spirit of ASCO’s 2025 theme. Transforming deep molecular insights into actionable treatments involves intricate clinical trials, biomarker-driven approaches, and exploitation of the immune system’s complexities. These efforts hold the promise of not only extending survival but also improving the quality of life for patients confronting the spectrum of malignancies.
Founded as a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Moffitt’s integration of scientific excellence and clinical innovation continues to position it at the forefront of oncology research. Its magnetic nursing designation complements this talent, emphasizing holistic and multidisciplinary approaches vital to successful cancer care and clinical trial delivery.
For clinicians, researchers, and patients alike, the work presented by Moffitt at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting represents a beacon of hope and a testament to sustained investment in translational science. Each study, whether addressing hematologic malignancies or solid tumors, builds upon a foundation of collaboration and precision medicine, aiming to redefine future standards and ultimately conquer cancer’s complexity.
Subject of Research: Polycythemia vera, melanoma including brain metastases, renal cell carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, and immunotherapy combinations.
Article Title: Moffitt Cancer Center’s Groundbreaking Research Set to Shape Future of Oncology at 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting
News Publication Date: Not specified (2025 Annual Meeting held May 30 – June 3, 2025)
Web References:
https://www.moffitt.org/for-healthcare-professionals/physician-relations/moffitt-at-asco/?utm_source=brand&utm_medium=vanity&utm_campaign=asco
https://meetings.asco.org/2025-asco-annual-meeting
Keywords: Cancer research, clinical research, drug research, translational research
