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 39th 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 IO approvals over the next 10 years!
The Annual Meeting this year reflects the growing diversity of promising IO modalities and encouraging research into earlier lines of therapy. Distinguished leaders in the field will provide their critical perspective on the past, current and future state of immuno-oncology in key lectures. This includes the Richard V.
Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship, honoring the 2024 recipient Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAIO, FAACR, FACP, FAAAS – Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University – who will deliver the lecture, The Era of Cancer Vaccines has Arrived, and Keynote speaker Rafi Ahmed, PhD, FAIO – Emory University School of Medicine. I invite you to join these luminaries on stage by submitting your own science to SITC. Abstracts are welcomed until June 27, with late-breaking clinical abstracts opening in July until September 12.
Featuring three exciting Pre-Conference Programs, SITC 2024 begins with a celebration of the first novel IO agent approved by the FDA in 2024 with a Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) Symposium. While the program will open honoring the path to approval for TIL therapy, most of the program is future-focused with sessions on next-generation TILs and innovative pre-clinical development strategies, all designed to promote and expand the development of highly effective TIL therapies for cancer patients.
Beyond Checkpoint Inhibitors: New Immuno-oncology Modalities and Approaches will assemble industry and academic experts to explore promising new cancer immunotherapy modalities, from T-cell engagers to TCRs, ADCs, and next generation immune checkpoints. The faculty will also discuss recent studies surrounding patient selection and indicators of response or resistance.
Finally, the Immune Engineering Workshop: Building Bridges Between All Aspects of Engineering and Immuno-oncology is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. This full day workshop will explore recent advances in engineering, artificial intelligence, and cancer immunology, and how these fields can converge to effectively address current hurdles in immuno-oncology. Abstracts that focus on immune engineering and related topics will be eligible for additional opportunities for poster and oral presentations during the Immune Engineering Workshop Pre-Conference Program.
SITC 2024 is the most significant gathering for the immuno-oncology community! Want to learn more? Visit the SITC 2024 website to explore the agenda and register to attend. SITC members receive discounted SITC 2024 registration rates, one of the many reasons for renewing your SITC membership. If you plan to attend the 2024 ASCO® Annual Meeting, be sure to stop by the SITC booth #12040 — you can renew your membreship at the booth and meet with colleagues!
Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD
SITC President
Program Spotlight
2024 Glyco-Immunology Webinar Series
Join luminaries in the field of glyco-immunology, an emerging area within the field of immuno-oncology, as they explore cutting-edge research in the role of tumor glycans on anti-tumor immunity and immune resistance, with the goal of generating more effective cancer immunotherapies and improving patient outcomes. In partnership with the Society for Glycobiology (SfG), this three-part webinar series begins on July 11 with Susan Bellis, PhD – University of Alabama, Birmingham and Brian Cobb, PhD – Case Western Reserve University!
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SITC Immuno-oncology Drug
Development Summit
Building on the landmark approvals of the first immuno-oncology (IO) agents, this summit – held Sept. 30–Oct. 1 in Boston, MA – will explore the pathway to FDA approval for current IO therapeutics as a launching pad for state-of-the-art modern IO drug development. Featuring a fireside chat with Priti Hegde, PhD – Kite Pharma and Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD – Weill Cornell Medicine, the two day program will educate, engage, and challenge the community.
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SITC’s Living Guidelines – Rapid Updates to Published Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs)
SITC’s CPGs are developed by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts and are designed to provide practical, actionable recommendations to help cancer care providers form immunotherapy treatment plans for their patients. There are 16 different guidelines in the catalogue that encompass many solid tumors, hematologic malignancies, and management of immune related adverse events.
To enhance the speed of translating the latest research evidence into the clinic, SITC has implemented rapid updates as part of our “living guidelines” program. These rapid updates incorporate new evidence into the existing guideline as it becomes available and appear as both an overlay to the published guideline in JITC and in our CPG mobile app.
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Additional Programming and Events
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