ENDEAVOUR Lung Cancer Program Forms International Teams to Initiate Four Collaborative Projects Focused on Advancing Patient Care
The projects to be developed over the next three years under expert guidance address critical unmet needs in lung cancer. The four selected research projects each focus on important challenges: two will investigate treatment resistance mechanisms—one in small cell lung cancer and one in non-small cell lung cancer—with the aim of better understanding the characteristics of these tumors and finding strategies to overcome this resistance. The third project will use artificial intelligence to analyze long-term responders to specific therapies, seeking to identify features that could guide future treatment decisions. The fourth project will concentrate on certain non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases, a group known to have particularly poor prognoses, with the goal of uncovering key characteristics that could support more personalized therapeutic strategies.
'To be chosen among more than 20 projects — all led by passionate professionals asking meaningful questions in lung cancer — is a real honor,' says Dr. Edouard Auclin, Institut Bergonié, France. 'Each project brings valuable insights to the field. My project focuses on patients with high inflammation who tend to have poorer outcomes and are often underrepresented in clinical trials. By thinking outside the box, we aim to develop new approaches that could better address their needs and improve their treatment responses. I am truly happy to be part of this program and look forward to what we can accomplish together.' In addition to Dr. Auclin, the selected project leads are Dr. Marcel Kemper from University Hospital, Germany; Dr. Pedro Rocha from Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Spain; and Dr. Francesca Ogliari from IRCCS Scientific Institute and Hospital San Raffaele, Italy.
Fostering Excellence with Patient-Centric Purpose
Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. 1 Nearly 2.5 million lung cancer cases were diagnosed globally in 2022. 1 'Mentoring and fostering the next generation of thoracic oncologists is essential to sustaining scientific innovation and improving patient outcomes,' says Prof. Lizza Hendriks, Associate Professor at Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands and ENDEAVOUR Lung Cancer Program Committee Member. 'Through this initiative, participants gain the tools and critical skills needed to become the lung cancer leaders of tomorrow to treat patients with the latest scientific knowledge. I was truly impressed and energized by the outstanding quality of applications received and look forward to the outcomes of the collaborations that will emerge from this program.'
While the participating oncologists deeply exchange about their research and clinical practice within the group, the goal of the program is to improve lung cancer care for patients and have a real-world impact.
'Every advance in cancer care begins with a single idea — and a deep commitment to patients,' says Dr. Michael Zaiac, Head of European Medical Affairs Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo. 'At Daiichi Sankyo, we believe that great patient care is fueled by both innovation and experience. ENDEAVOUR brings these elements together by connecting bright, early-career oncologists with seasoned experts, and providing the support needed to turn ideas into impact. We are proud to back a program that fosters scientific excellence while keeping patients at the center of every discovery.'
The ENDEAVOUR lung cancer program is guided by a distinguished steering committee of eight leading experts in thoracic oncology. Together, they are responsible for the independent design of the program, the selection of participants and the scientific mentorship provided throughout.
Prof. Lizza Hendriks, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Prof. Pilar Garrido, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
Prof. David Planchard, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
Prof. António Araújo, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Prof. Frank Griesinger, University Medicine Oldenburg, Pius-Hospital, Oldenburg, Germany
Prof. Andreas Pircher, Medical University of Innsbruck, Insbruck, Austria
Prof. Francesco Grossi, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
Prof. Natasha Leighl, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada
About the ENDEAVOUR Lung Program
The ENDEAVOUR programs are an initiative supported by Daiichi Sankyo, aimed at developing the next generation of oncology top experts across Europe by fostering scientific exchange and clinical practice sharing. Guided by a distinguished steering committee of leading oncology experts, the three-year programs are designed to promote excellence in research and enhance clinical knowledge to drive scientific innovation and improve patient outcomes. Building on the success of the ENDEAVOUR breast cancer program, the ENDEAVOUR lung cancer program will support 21 emerging lung cancer specialists from 2025 to 2027.
About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical need. For more information, please visit www.daiichi-sankyo.eu.
1 World Health Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lung Fact Sheet. Accessed July 2024.
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