Clinical trials plenary sessions highlight novel targets, next-generation therapies


Timothy Yap, MD, PhD
Timothy A. Yap, MD, PhD

Along with the clinical trials presented during the daily plenaries, symposia, and poster sessions, the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 program includes four in-depth clinical trials plenary sessions covering some of the most innovative and impactful work taking place in clinical research. The plenaries will feature results from 17 trials in different phases and in different areas of research. Each presentation will be followed by an expert discussant who will present the science behind the trial.

“With a record number of high-quality abstracts submitted for our clinical trials sessions this year, we have four exciting and distinct clinical trial plenary sessions at the AACR Annual Meeting that span key areas of oncology research,” said Timothy A. Yap, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, and Medical Director, Institute for Applied Cancer Science, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Yap serves as co-chair of the AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee alongside Shivaani Kummar, MD, DeArmond Endowed Chair of Cancer Research, Co-director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics, and Deputy Director for Clinical & Translational Research, Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University.

Shivaani Kummar, MD
Shivaani Kummar, MD

Here’s a closer at the four clinical trial plenary sessions:

CTPL01: Harnessing the Immune System in the Clinic
Sunday, April 16 | 12:45 – 3:15 p.m. ET | Chapin Theater, Convention Center

“This clinical trial plenary session showcases five truly exciting, practice-changing trials that have benefited patients by harnessing the immune system in the clinic through a myriad of different mechanisms,” Yap said.

  • CT001: A personalized cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, combined with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab in patients with resected high-risk melanoma: Efficacy and safety results from the randomized, open-label phase 2 mRNA-4157-P201/Keynote-942 trial
  • CT002: KEYMAKER-U02 substudy 02C: Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab (pembro) + vibostolimab (vibo) or gebasaxturev (geba) or pembro alone followed by adjuvant pembro for stage IIIB-D melanoma
  • CT003: IMbrave050: Phase 3 study of adjuvant atezolizumab + bevacizumab versus active surveillance in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at high risk of disease recurrence following resection or ablation
  • CT004: Intratumoral (IT) MEDI1191 + durvalumab (D): Update on the first-in-human study in advanced solid tumors
  • CT005: AEGEAN: A phase 3 trial of neoadjuvant durvalumab + chemotherapy followed by adjuvant durvalumab in patients with resectable NSCLC

CTPL02: Hope for Rare Cancers: Novel Targeted and Immunotherapy Agents
Sunday, April 16 | 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET | W Hall A2-3, Convention Center

“This session will feature the latest results from four studies demonstrating the promising clinical benefit being observed in trials for patients with a variety of rare cancers, including malignant mesothelioma, advanced biliary tract cancer, and desmoplastic melanoma,” Kummar said.

  • CT006: First-in-class, first-in-human phase 1 trial of VT3989, an inhibitor of yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional enhancer activator domain (TEAD), in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors enriched for malignant mesothelioma and other tumors with neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) mutations
  • CT007: Phase 2-3 trial of pegargiminase plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with non-epithelioid pleural mesothelioma
  • CT008: Pembrolizumab (pembro) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin (gem/cis) for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC): Phase 3 KEYNOTE-966 study
  • CT009: S1512: High response rate with single agent anti-PD-1 in patients with metastatic desmoplastic melanoma

CTPL03: Promising Novel Antitumor Strategies in Early Phase Clinical Trials
Monday, April 17 | 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET | W Hall A2-3, Convention Center

“This clinical trial plenary session will highlight early findings from four clinical trials involving novel antitumor strategies that are already showing great promise in patients,” Yap said.

  • CT011: A phase 1 multicenter study (TRAVERSE) evaluating the safety and efficacy of ALLO-316 following conditioning regimen in pts with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
  • CT012: Clinical activity of MCLA-158 (petosemtamab), an IgG1 bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and LGR5, in advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC)
  • CT013: Safety and efficacy from the phase 1/2 first-in-human study of REGN5459, a BCMA×CD3 bispecific antibody with low CD3 affinity, in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
  • CT014: Phase I dose-escalation study of fractionated dose 225Ac J591 for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer

CTPL04: Novel Biomarker-driven Molecularly Targeted Therapy Trials
Tuesday, April 18 | 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET | Chapin Theater, Convention Center

“During this final clinical trial plenary session, presenters will discuss the concept of targeting specific genetic mutations in a range of solid tumors in both adults and children,” Kummar said.

  • CT016: Clinical and translational findings of pemigatinib in previously treated solid tumors with activating FGFR1-3 alterations in the FIGHT-207 study
  • CT017: Pan-mutant and isoform selective PI3Kα inhibitor, RLY-2608, demonstrates selective targeting in a first-in-human study of PIK3CA-mutant solid tumor patients, ReDiscover trial
  • CT018: Safety and efficacy of three PARP inhibitors (PARPi) combined with the ataxia telangiectasia- and Rad3-related kinase inhibitor (ATRi) camonsertib in patients (pts) with solid tumors harboring DNA damage response (DDR) alterations
  • CT019: Phase I/II study of the PARP inhibitor olaparib and ATR inhibitor ceralasertib in children with advanced malignancies: Arm N of the AcSé-ESMART trial

Register Today for the AACR Annual Meeting 2024

Final preparations are underway for the AACR Annual Meeting 2024, with an outstanding program that brings together cancer researchers from around the world. This year’s meeting convenes April 5-10 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. For those unable to travel, virtual attendance is also an option.

Register Today for the AACR Annual Meeting 2024

Final preparations are underway for the AACR Annual Meeting 2024, with an outstanding program that brings together cancer researchers from around the world. This year’s meeting convenes April 5-10 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. For those unable to travel, virtual attendance is also an option.