Running from Friday through June 3 at McCormick Place Convention Center, the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting promises to unveil pivotal data from a wide range of clinical trials. Experts suggest the findings could have far-reaching implications across oncology research and patient care.
Breast and Blood Cancers Take Center Stage
Among the most closely watched areas at ASCO 2025 are breast and blood cancers, with several high-impact studies generating considerable buzz ahead of the event.
Dr. Jason Mouabbi, assistant professor of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, emphasized the significance of this year’s breast cancer trials. “As we head into ASCO 2025, there are several key breast cancer studies that reflect major advancements in treatment approaches,” Mouabbi said in an email to BioSpace.
On the blood cancer front, Lore Gruenbaum, chief scientific officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, expressed particular enthusiasm about presentations focused on minimal residual disease (MRD) testing in multiple myeloma. Gruenbaum called MRD testing “exciting,” noting it may “change clinical development strategies for novel agents and potentially provide significant time savings for drugmakers.”
Promising Data in Polycythemia Vera
A standout in the blood cancer category is Takeda and Protagonist Therapeutics’ rusfertide, a novel hepcidin mimetic being developed for polycythemia vera—a rare, potentially fatal blood disorder. Gruenbaum described the therapy as “a promising emerging treatment option,” especially for patients who do not respond adequately to standard therapies.
Topline results from the Phase III VERIFY trial, released in March, showed rusfertide achieved its primary endpoint, with 77% of patients responding to treatment compared to 33% in the placebo group. The drug also delivered strong results on key secondary endpoints, including reducing the need for phlebotomies, improving hematocrit control, and enhancing patient-reported outcomes.
Although Gruenbaum has yet to review the full ASCO abstract, she said the available data suggest rusfertide could significantly reduce the burden of phlebotomy and improve quality of life for patients. VERIFY has earned a prestigious plenary spot at the conference.
Breakthroughs in Breast Cancer
In breast cancer, several high-profile trials are generating early excitement—chief among them AstraZeneca’s Phase III SERENA-6 trial. The study investigates camizestrant, the company’s oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor for HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients with ESR1 mutations.
According to Mouabbi, “This is one of the most anticipated studies at ASCO.” Early results released in February showed the camizestrant regimen significantly extended progression-free survival compared to aromatase inhibitors. Full data will be unveiled during ASCO, and SERENA-6 has also been selected for a plenary presentation.
“This trial is especially compelling because it’s the first to show a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival in this setting without requiring radiographic progression,” Mouabbi explained. “It’s a potential paradigm shift in how we manage endocrine resistance.”
AstraZeneca is also set to present Phase III data from the DESTINY-Breast09 trial, testing its antibody-drug conjugate Enhertu (developed with Daiichi Sankyo) with or without Roche’s Perjeta as a first-line therapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Last month, Enhertu was reported to significantly improve progression-free survival, though detailed results are still pending.
“This is a significant development for HER2+ patients, offering a less chemotherapy-intensive option with robust efficacy,” said Mouabbi.
Additional presentations expected to draw attention include Merck and Gilead’s ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 study, which combines the anti-TROP2 ADC Trodelvy with the PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda, and Pfizer and Arvinas’ VERITAC-2 trial evaluating the PROTAC degrader vepdegestrant. VERITAC-2 returned mixed results in March but remains a key study in the evolving field of targeted breast cancer therapies.
Looking Ahead
While breast and blood cancers are likely to dominate headlines, ASCO 2025 will also highlight advances in other malignancies such as melanoma, gastric, prostate, and lung cancers. With multiple plenary sessions and late-breaking abstracts on the docket, this year’s meeting is shaping up to be a landmark moment in the ongoing evolution of cancer treatment.
