On May 6, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy co-hosted a public meeting, “Unlocking Next-Generation Therapies” to explore opportunities to advance next-generation therapies, including innovative approaches in cell therapy development. The oncology landscape has shifted dramatically over the last 30 years, transitioning from chemotherapy-based treatment toward molecularly and immunologically…
On April 7, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public meeting, “Application of External Control Arms in Oncology Drug Development” to explore opportunities to advance the use of external control arms (ECAs) in oncology drug development. ECAs are constructed from external data sources, such as prior clinical trials or real-world data (RWD), and can provide valuable comparative evidence for evaluating new therapies, particularly when traditional randomized controlled…
On February 5th, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public meeting, “Modernizing Oncology Endpoints: Pathways for Evidence and Policy” to examine how emerging early endpoints, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tumor assessments, may improve trial efficiency and inform regulatory decision-making. Realizing this potential will require convergence around evidentiary standards, scalable validation frameworks, and regulatory pathways that enable innovation to move beyond pilots and into predictable,…
On November 17, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) convened or an advocates-focused webinar to discuss key themes from the 2025 Annual Meeting and examine how patient experience informs evidence generation, trial design, and regulatory decision-making. We were honored to feature advocate panelists, Kristin McJunkins, Misha Mehta, Susan Rouse, Carol Vallett, and Chris white, who drew…
On Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted its 18th Annual Meeting, bringing together experts from industry, academia, regulatory agencies, and patient advocacy. Over the past few months, Friends members Bernat Navarro-Serer, Hillary Andrews, and Mark Stewart hosted biweekly calls with expert working groups to discuss pressing topics in oncology clinical research that led to white papers released before the event. Each session at the Annual Meeting began with a brief presentation by the moderator,…
On May 22, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public webinar exploring next steps for supporting sustainable development and manufacturing models that can expand patient access to genetically modified cell-based therapies. The webinar, “Unlocking Next-Generation Therapies Meeting Recap: Sharing Next Steps and Opportunities with Advocates,” revisited policy discussions from the May 9th public meeting, and proposals from the collaborative white paper developed with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI).
On May 9th, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends), in collaboration with Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), hosted a public meeting, “Unlocking Next Generation Therapies: Exploring Innovative Development and Manufacturing Models for Cell Therapies.” This meeting came at a critical inflection point, as the scientific potential of engineered cell-based therapies continue to advance and bring hope for patients. However, regulatory frameworks, manufacturing models, and access mechanisms have not fully evolved to support timely and equitable delivery— particularly for patients with rare cancers and other complex diseases.
On February 19, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public webinar examining the role of advocacy in advancing AI-enabled diagnostics tools and companion diagnostic (CDx) tests for rare biomarkers. Titled “Advancing the Future of Diagnostics and Regulatory Innovations Meeting Recap: Sharing Next Steps and Opportunities with Advocates,” the webinar built upon discussions from the “Advancing the Future of Diagnostics and Regulatory Innovations” public meeting held on February 4…
On February 4th, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public meeting, “Advancing the Future of Diagnostics and Regulatory Innovations,” emphasizing the dual objectives of ensuring patient safety while fostering an environment conducive to innovation—a balance that is becoming increasingly critical in an era marked by rapid technological advancements.
On December 5, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosted a public webinar, “Friends Annual Meeting 2024 Recap: Sharing Next Steps and Opportunities with Advocates,” to provide advocates with an overview of discussions from the 2024 Annual Meeting, outline the path forward, and facilitate a dialogue with the goal of capturing the community’s voice and promoting broader educational access to patient/advocacy groups.
