Experimental Therapies for Rare and Advanced Cancers: Tracking Innovations from ASCO 2025 

Each June, the latest cancer research is presented at the largest oncology conference in the world, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. This conference brings together doctors, researchers, industry leaders, and patient advocates to share groundbreaking results that shape the future of cancer care. A team of clinicians and researchers from Private Health Management (PHM) attend each year to ensure that our Personal Care Teams can quickly translate the latest developments in cancer research into personalized, high-quality care for our clients. 

This year, the annual ASCO meeting showcased a variety of early-phase clinical trials designed to address some of the most challenging cancer types, including rare and advanced cancers. While these experimental therapies are still early in the development process, they represent the evolution of new approaches that may help provide hope for patients in the future. Some of the most exciting breakthroughs and innovative treatment approaches that we are following closely are noted below.

• Making novel drugs inside the body for solid tumors: There are now novel drugs called bispecific antibodies, which are engineered to bring a patient’s immune cells into close proximity of the tumor to elicit an effect. Usually, these are manufactured and then delivered intravenously, but BNT142 is a new approach to these specialized drugs. Instead of directly administering the antibody, researchers used mRNA technology to “deliver instructions” to the patient’s liver, which then produced the bispecific antibody itself. This is a brand-new treatment delivery platform that can be adapted much more quickly than traditional manufacturing. In that way, it will hopefully help advance targeted immunotherapies for rare or hard-to-treat cancers.¹
• An anticancer vaccine approach for prostate cancer: SYNC-T is a new treatment that combines tumor freezing (cryoablation) with direct tumor injection of four immune-stimulating drugs. This approach aims to train the immune system to better recognize and attack the tumor. It may offer a new option for treating cancers that have historically been challenging to treat with immunotherapy, like prostate cancer.²
• More specific targeting of prostate cancer: Investigators are developing a new bispecific antibody (pasritamig), which targets two molecules, KLK2 and CD3. The effect is to bring immune cells into close proximity with the cancer cells and activate them to attack. This approach is unique because KLK2 is found mostly on prostate cancer cells and not on non-cancerous cells, which means that it may reduce the risk of attacking healthy cells elsewhere in the body, an ongoing challenge for many immunotherapies.³
• A drug active only inside a tumor: A new antibody-drug conjugate, ozuriftamab vedotin, is specially engineered to become active only in the acidic environment of the tumor, helping to minimize damage to healthy tissues. In a phase 2 trial, patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck whose cancer had stopped responding to standard immunotherapy were treated with this drug. It had a 36% response rate and disease control rate of 86%. This treatment approach may offer a new option for patients with few choices.⁴
• A tiny, targeted treatment for bladder cancer: A new, targeted molecule called zelenectide pevedotin is a type of drug called a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate. These are small, engineered molecules that deliver a cancer-killing drug specifically to tumor cells. The drug binds directly to tumor cell surfaces and penetrates the tumors easily due to its small size. In a small study of patients with bladder cancer who were not eligible for chemotherapy, this drug showed promising results.⁵
• A CAR T-cell breakthrough for solid tumors: CAR T-cell therapies, which involve engineering a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer, have been successful for treating blood cancers but have had limited efficacy in solid tumors. In one of the first studies to show meaningful results in a solid tumor, Satri-cel, a CAR T-cell therapy that targets a protein found in gastric tumors (Claudin18.2), improved overall survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer, compared with standard treatment.⁶

At PHM, we continually monitor the latest cancer treatment developments to ensure that our clients are informed about new treatment opportunities. Our Personal Care Teams help to evaluate eligibility for emerging treatments and navigate early access, including participation in clinical trials.

PHM’s ASCO 2025 Attendees

Our team of clinicians and researchers are dedicated to ensuring all our clients with cancer receive the best care available. Clinicians: Jennifer Pena, Amber McDonald, Elizbeth Grevengoed, Mary Beth Coffin, Andrea Grace, and Sara Guldin. Researchers: Eva Gordon, David Parker, Nicholas Young, Lee Gibbs, Ross Keller, and Gareth Morrison.

References

1. Yap, T. A. et al. First-in-human phase I/II trial evaluating BNT142, a first-in-class mRNA encoded, bispecific antibody targeting Claudin 6 (CLDN6) and CD3, in patients (pts) with CLDN6-positive advanced solid tumors. JCO 43, 2501–2501 (2025).

2. Jr, C. J. L. et al. Clinical responses to SYNC-T therapy: In situ personalized cancer vaccination with intratumoral immunotherapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Journal of Clinical Oncology (2025) doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.2504.

3. Baldini, C. et al. Phase 1 study results of JNJ-78278343 (pasritamig) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). JCO 43, 5017–5017 (2025).

4. Adkins, D. et al. Phase 2 trial of ozuriftamab vedotin (BA3021), a conditionally binding ROR2-ADC, in patients with heavily pretreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. JCO 43, 6048–6048 (2025).

5. Giannatempo, P. et al. Phase 1/2 Duravelo-1 study: Preliminary results of nectin-4–targeting zelenectide pevedotin (BT8009) plus pembrolizumab in previously untreated, cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. JCO 43, 4567–4567 (2025).

6. Qi, C. et al. Claudin18.2-specific CAR T cells (Satri-cel) versus treatment of physician’s choice (TPC) for previously treated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (G/GEJC): Primary results from a randomized, open-label, phase II trial (CT041-ST-01). JCO 43, 4003–4003 (2025).