News Release

Ludwig researchers present new findings at the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting

Findings include new data on advances in combination immunotherapy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

Ludwig Cancer Research released today the full scope of Ludwig’s participation at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, June 2-6. Ludwig scientists will present findings on efforts to diagnose and treat a variety of cancers, including melanoma, glioblastoma, multiple myeloma and lymphoma.

“The ASCO Annual Meeting provides a unique opportunity for scientists from around the world to share information about new and innovative treatment strategies and identify new research opportunities,” said Bob Strausberg, deputy scientific director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. “Ludwig is pleased to present data on many advances, in cancer immunotherapy in particular, a field that has long been a focus of Ludwig research.”

Ludwig scientists will present four clinical trials of checkpoint antibody combination immunotherapies, which are jointly managed by Ludwig’s Clinical Trials Management team and the Cancer Research Institute’s Anna-Maria Kellen Clinical Accelerator. These include the evaluation of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies (i) to treat patients with advanced solid tumors, (ii) in combination with high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant in multiple myeloma patients, and (iii) in-situ checkpoint immunotherapy in select accessible cancers. As part of this partnership, scientists will also share an update of a Phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an anti-PD-L1 therapy in newly diagnosed and relapsed glioblastoma patients. Further, a fifth study evaluating anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1 antibodies in combination with two different dose/fraction radiotherapy schemes will be presented.

Ludwig researchers will also share findings on other topics, including the potential use of circulating tumor DNA in early diagnosis and treatment, immunotherapy to treat pediatric patients, how changes to DNA repair genes influence checkpoint blockade therapy, identifying biomarkers for melanoma treatment and diagnostic criteria for a type of lymphoma.

Click here for a comprehensive list of Ludwig scientists' activities at the Meeting.

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About Ludwig Cancer Research

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international collaborative network of acclaimed scientists that has pioneered cancer research and landmark discovery for more than 40 years. Ludwig combines basic science with the ability to translate its discoveries and conduct clinical trials to accelerate the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies. Since 1971, Ludwig has invested $2.7 billion in life-changing science through the not-for-profit Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers. To learn more, visit http://www.ludwigcancerresearch.org.

For further information please contact Rachel Steinhardt, rsteinhardt@licr.org or +1-212-450-1582.


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