Giants of Cancer Care® Program Inductees
Breast Cancer
Javier Cortés, MD, PhD
Ramón y Cajal University Hospital
International Breast Cancer Centre (IBCC)
- Cortés is a founding partner of Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), a company dedicated to the development of clinical trials.
- He has authored more than 400 publications, mostly surrounding breast cancers and novel therapies. Has also had more than 800 communication roles at conferences.
- He was the lead study author of the phase 3 DESTINY-Breast03 trial (NCT03529110), which showed an improvement in progression-free survival with the antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd; Enhertu) compared with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla) in patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who previously received at least 1 anti–HER2-based regimen. The data were the basis for the FDA and European Union May 2022 and July 2022 approvals, respectively, for use of the agent in this patient population.
- He also led the phase 3 KEYNOTE-355 trial (NCT02819518), which showed that patients with locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer that is PD-L1 positive with a combined positive score of at least 10 experience improved overall survival with the combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone. The benefit led to the November 2020 FDA accelerated approval of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in this setting, which was later converted to a full approval in July 2021.
- Much of his research focuses on the development of novel therapies that target the HER2 oncogene in breast cancer and how to overcome resistance to current regimens. Additionally, he contributed to research published in 2011 that identified that quantitative cyclin E alterations are linked with trastuzumab (Herceptin) resistance.
- His efforts have also contributed to the development of bevacizumab (Avastin), pertuzumab (Perjeta), eribulin mesylate (Halaven), and everolimus (Afinitor) as treatment for patients with metastatic breast cancer, as well as intracellular signaling molecules such as dasatinib (Sprycel).
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