Immune Monitor Archive

Immune Monitor - August/September 2024

By SITC Communications posted 23 days ago
A Message from the President In three short weeks, SITC will host our first-ever IO Drug Development Summit in Boston . I’ve shared details on this new program in past Immune Monitors. Today, I’m eager to share thoughts from two of the organizers and longtime leaders in our field: Alexandra Snyder, MD of Generate Biomedicines and Jon M. Wiggington, MD of Bright Peak Therapeutics. Dr. Snyder, Dr. Wigginton and their fellow organizers were instrumental in planning the Summit. Dr. Snyder and Dr. Wigginton shared their perspective on why this summit is needed now more than ever. Dr. Wigginton, who was President of ...
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Immune Monitor - July 2024

By SITC Communications posted 07-25-2024
A Message from the President Last month, SITC launched a three-year strategic plan highlighting “global access and impact” as one of the six main strategic goals. This goal aims to collaborate strategically to expand the global reach of SITC resources and increase immuno-oncology access to diverse populations worldwide. A big part of this is elevating a rich oncology community through SITC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategic plan . DEI isn’t a single initiative or program at SITC, it is a core value that is integrated into everything SITC does, led by a committee of dedicated volunteers. Most recently, ...
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Immune Monitor - June 2024

By SITC Communications posted 06-27-2024
A Message from the President Over the past decade, SITC played an instrumental role in establishing immunotherapy as a pillar of cancer therapy by promoting the translation of scientific innovation into treatment solutions for patients. Given the transformative clinical impact that cancer immunotherapy has already achieved, the SITC community is confident that the next decade will bring a new generation of highly innovative and effective immunotherapy agents to the patients who need them most. We recognize that there is still much work to be done. To that end, SITC is excited to introduce our three-year strategic plan , which serves as ...
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Immune Monitor - May 2024

By SITC Communications posted 05-24-2024
A Message from the President ust last week our community celebrated yet another novel immuno-oncology (IO) agent approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with tarlatamab-dlle, the first T-cell engager for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. This year alone, we’ve see three novel IO agents approved by the FDA, with two more PDUFA dates on the calendar before our 39 th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2024) taking place Nov. 6–10 in Houston, TX. We are already on our way to our goal of 100 new ...
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Immune Monitor - April 2024

By SITC Communications posted 04-26-2024
A Message from the President Immunotherapies have clearly transformed cancer treatments in recent years. However, the increased focus on developing more effective cancer immunotherapies has highlighted some of the biological, clinical, and regulatory hurdles in developing new immunotherapy agents. Collaborative efforts among regulators, preclinical researchers, clinical investigators, and industry stakeholders are essential to sustain the momentum in our field and ensure the prompt and appropriate clinical testing of innovative immunotherapies. To address the needs of the cancer immunotherapy community and streamline the immunotherapy drug ...
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Immune Monitor - March 2024

By SITC Communications posted 03-27-2024
A Message from the President Last month, we witnessed the monumental FDA approval of lifileucel, a first-in-class tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Notably, the approval of lifileucel also marks the first approval of any cellular therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, thus significantly expanding its application beyond hematologic malignancies. This critical milestone event underscores the importance of supporting the biotech ecosystem to ensure promising novel immunotherapeutics have a pathway to approval for patients in need. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer ...
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Immune Monitor - February 2024

By SITC Communications posted 02-27-2024
A Message from the President It’s that time of year when the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) and the Forward Fund unveil their 2024 fellowship opportunities . Over $600,000 in funding is available to bolster the growth of early career investigators, nurturing the future cohort of experts in cancer immunotherapy. Since 2014, SITC has granted over $6 million in fellowships. I encourage you to take advantage of this chance to explore the available fellowships, whether you are eligible to apply or can share the opportunities with someone you know. Applications remain open until March 18. In addition to the annual ...
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Immune Monitor - January 2024

By SITC Communications posted 01-31-2024
A Message from the President Before we toast the start of 2024 together, let’s take a moment to celebrate all that our community achieved by reading the society’s 2023 Year in Review . While in San Diego for the SITC 2023 Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs, SITC announced a goal to reach 100 new IO approvals in the next decade. As you enjoy the SITC 2023 Year in Review, you’ll be struck by the breadth and depth of our programming. I have no doubt that you will join me in doubling down on our commitment to reach that lofty goal. From our first Spring Scientific to the record-setting Annual Meeting, I’m confident this trip ...
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Immune Monitor - December 2023

By SITC Communications posted 12-21-2023
A Message from the President As I celebrated Thanksgiving after the 38th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs , I found myself reflecting on the remarkable generosity of our community. Over the last 12 months, you collectively dedicated your creativity, energy, and expertise to a set of incredibly strategic and impactful SITC initiatives. From investigating immune excluded tumors , to exploring opportunities in premalignant immunity , to fostering our understanding of myeloid cells on immune response, the science we sought, challenged, and advanced this year was groundbreaking. Given our influence on the field through ...
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Immune Monitor - November 2023

By SITC Communications posted 11-23-2023
A Message from the President It’s hard to believe SITC’s 38th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs has come and gone! I remain in awe of the science and research presented at this year's meeting. We saw multiple sessions highlight the dynamic remodeling of lymphoid and myeloid cell populations in the tumor microenvironment during the anti-tumor immune response. Additionally, the relationship between metabolism, immune cell function and fate, and anti-tumor immunity was a common theme throughout the meeting. We are currently at the inflection point of the next big wave of progress in IO, with multiple innovative, diverse ...
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Immune Monitor - October 2023

By SITC Communications posted 10-26-2023
A Message from the President No organization in the Immunotherapy field values early career and transitioning scientists more than the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)! We know the future of cancer immunotherapy depends on the next generation of investigators. To recognize this, SITC established the Forward Fund in 2012 to stimulate the future of science through the development and application of cancer immunotherapy by early career scientists and clinicians. Since then, more than $6 million has been awarded to support research and education initiatives for early career investigators. ...
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Immune Monitor - September 2023

By SITC Communications posted 09-21-2023
A Message from the President We are less than two months away from the largest event dedicated to cancer immunotherapy – The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 38th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2023) . SITC 2023 is scheduled for Nov. 1–5, and we look forward to welcoming our community to San Diego, CA! It’s with much anticipation that we come together and hear from the more than 1,500 Regular, Young Investigator Award and Late-Breaking Abstract presenters. Just think of all the new research, science and discoveries! We hope to see you there – are you registered yet? Two anticipated highlights are ...
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Immune Monitor - August 2023

By SITC Communications posted 08-24-2023
A Message from the President Every year, SITC leadership and key stakeholders gather for a strategic retreat, and earlier this month we did just that. Representatives from industry, academia, government, and the patient community were invited to the retreat to revisit SITC’s 2011 manuscript, “ Defining the critical hurdles in cancer immunotherapy. ” Over the last 10-plus years, our field has undergone an incredible transformation, and during the retreat we dove deep into the current challenges limiting progress toward the next major IO breakthrough. Using the ‘hurdles’ manuscript as a backbone, the retreat attendees helped define the ...
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Immune Monitor - July 2023

By SITC Communications posted 07-27-2023
A Message from the President It’s no secret that SITC is dedicated to supporting early career researchers and practitioners in the field of cancer immunotherapy! Both the Society and the Forward Fund are committed to expanding education and professional development opportunities for early career investigators and clinicians, with programming, funding, and award opportunities specifically designed to meet the needs of this unique group. We know that these key SITC members will become the next generation of leaders both for SITC, and the cancer immunotherapy field at large. Many upcoming programs geared toward early career scientists ...
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Immune Monitor - June 2023

By SITC Communications posted 06-22-2023
A Message from the President Dear Colleagues, Here at SITC, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a core value of the organization – from membership engagement to research to professional development opportunities. It is our goal to weave the value of diversity into all aspects of the society and our DEI Committee plays a big part in that. The committee aims to improve opportunities for research, education, and professional development that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the society and field of cancer immunotherapy. The DEI Committee and the SITC leadership are eager to continue developing exceptional initiatives ...
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Immune Monitor - May 2023

By SITC Communications posted 05-25-2023
A Message from the President Dear Colleagues, It’s official: the largest event dedicated to cancer immunotherapy – The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 38th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2023) – is launched! SITC 2023 is scheduled for Nov. 1–5 in sunny San Diego, CA. I often think of the astonishing growth of our annual gathering of basic scientists, translational researchers, clinicians, industry and governmental representatives and others in recent years. Last year, we had the largest meeting ever, with over 7,400 professionals in the field attended our Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs ...
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Immune Monitor - April 2023

By SITC Communications posted 04-20-2023
A Message from the President Dear Colleagues, Earlier this month, hundreds of participants gathered online for the SITC Immunoprevention Virtual Summit . The goals of the summit were to highlight opportunities and challenges in developing strategies for cancer immune interception and immunoprevention, to provide an overview of resources currently available to support these research areas, and to advocate for the need for additional innovative preventative research methods. The summit also called out the critical importance of attracting talented biologists, translational researchers, clinicians, and epidemiologists to this field, which ...
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Immune Monitor - March 2023

By SITC Communications posted 03-23-2023
A Message from the President Dear Colleagues, With humility and deep admiration, my letter to you, my SITC family, is in honor of the legacy of Dr. Pedro J. Romero, who is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer ( JITC ). Dr. Romero has served SITC and JITC with incredible dedication, care, and strategically insightful direction as our founding Editor-in-Chief from the journal’s conception, to its launch, and through its meteoric rise. It goes without saying that our community owes a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Romero for growing JITC into the globally recognized scholarly journal ...
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Immune Monitor - January/February 2023

By SITC Communications posted 02-23-2023
A Message from the President Happy 2023! It is an honor to write my first monthly message as President of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). I have enjoyed the past two years as SITC’s Vice President, supporting Patrick Hwu, MD , during his tenure as leader of our society. I look forward to carrying that momentum forward into my own term as your President. We are coming off quite an amazing year for SITC. 2022 was chock-full of successful initiatives and record-breaking achievements . Included in this issue is the society’s Year in Review , which celebrates SITC’s many milestones and achievements last year. ...
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Immune Monitor - December 2022

By SITC Communications posted 12-22-2022
A Message from the President Dear Colleagues, As 2022 comes to a close – along with my tenure as the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) President – I’d like to reflect on what an amazing year it was for SITC. A few highlights include: Hosting a record-breaking Annual Meeting , where more than 7,400 individuals participated in-person or virtually to glean the latest science and research in the immunotherapy space Forming a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force to help set the strategic direction for the society’s efforts SITC’s official journal – The Journal for ImmunoTherapy ...
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