Serban Ghiorghiu
As Vice President, Clinical, Late Development Oncology, I work with a high performing team of clinical development experts to advance potential new medicines and ensure quality and innovation in trial design, delivery and interpretation from phase II programs through approvals, and beyond. There are tremendous opportunities to translate ground-breaking new science into new cancer medicines that can transform treatment paradigms, and I am excited about the current focus of Late Development Oncology which spans more than 10 programmes across multiple mechanisms of action and tumour types.
I am passionate about improving outcomes for oncology patients through collaboration, innovation and dedication to the science. My main research interests include clinical development, lung cancer and the intersection between industry, academia and government.
My desire to make a meaningful difference for cancer patients started as a medical student and remains a focal point throughout nearly 25 years of training, medical practice and medicine development. I’ve treated thousands of patients - experiencing both the highs of treatment success, and the lows of lives lost. These experiences furthered my resolve to use science to help us beat cancer.
While at AstraZeneca, I led the global development programme for an EGFR kinase inhibitor in non-small cell lung cancer. It is acknowledged as the fastest oncology development programme – from first-in-human dosing to first approval in just 2 years and 8 months, and full approvals in the US, EU, Japan and China in just 4 years.
In 2019, I was appointed to the European Commission’s new Mission Board for Cancer designed to focus on reducing cancer burden – one of the greatest challenges we face. This appointment offers me the opportunity to contribute to shaping the European Commission’s future cancer research & innovation strategy.
My work is supported by papers in influential peer-reviewed publications, including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Jama Oncology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. I am a member of several medical societies, and I am trained as a medical oncologist.
A very close and ongoing partnership between patients, researchers, healthcare providers and governments is critical to understand what matters most to patients, pinpoint the areas of highest unmet need, drive innovation and progress science with a vision to conquer cancer.
Award
2017: Winner “Putting Patients First” GMD Award TAGRISSO China Product Team & Global Product Team
Award
2016: Winner Best of the Best, CEO Awards, "Achieve Scientific Leadership" Tagrisso Team
Award
2015: Winner, CEO Awards, Best Clinical Publication of the Year, AZD9291, an Irreversible EGFR TKI, Overcomes T790M-Mediated Resistance to EGFR Inhibitors in Lung Cancer
CURRENT ROLE
2019-present
2017-2018
2016-2017
Featured publications
Immunotherapy with Programmed Cell Death 1 vs Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Inhibitors in Patients with Cancer.
Ghiorghiu S, Mukhopadhyay P, Massacesi C. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Apr 30. Publication link.
Osimertinib As First-Line Treatment of EGFR Mutation-Positive Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
Ramalingam SS, Yang JC, Lee CK, Kurata T, Kim DW, John T, Nogami N, Ohe Y, Mann H, Rukazenkov Y, Ghiorghiu S, Stetson D, Markovets A, Barrett JC, Thress KS, Jänne PA.
J Clin Oncol. 2018 Mar 20;36(9):841-849. Publication link.
Osimertinib in Pretreated T790M-Positive Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: AURA Study Phase II Extension Component.
Yang JC, Ahn MJ, Kim DW, Ramalingam SS, Sequist LV, Su WC, Kim SW, Kim JH, Planchard D, Felip E, Blackhall F, Haggstrom D, Yoh K, Novello S, Gold K, Hirashima T, Lin CC, Mann H, Cantarini M, Ghiorghiu S, Jänne PA. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Apr 20;35(12):1288-1296. Publication link.
Osimertinib or Platinum-Pemetrexed in EGFR T790M-Positive Lung Cancer.
Mok TS, Wu Y-L, Ahn M-J, Garassino MC, Kim HR, Ramalingam SS, Shepherd FA, He Y, Akamatsu H, Theelen WS, Lee CK, Sebastian M, Templeton A, Mann H, Marotti M, Ghiorghiu S, Papadimitrakopoulou VA; AURA3 Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2017 Feb 16;376(7):629-640. Publication link.
Osimertinib for pretreated EGFR Thr790Met-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (AURA2): a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study.
Goss G, Tsai CM, Shepherd FA, Bazhenova L, Lee JS, Chang GC, Crino L, Satouchi M, Chu Q, Hida T, Han JY, Juan O, Dunphy F, Nishio M, Kang JH, Majem M, Mann H, Cantarini M, Ghiorghiu S, Mitsudomi T. Lancet Oncol. 2016 Dec;17(12):1643-1652. Publication link.
AZD9291 in EGFR inhibitor-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer.
Jänne PA, Yang JC, Kim DW, Planchard D, Ohe Y, Ramalingam SS, Ahn MJ, Kim SW, Su WC, Horn L, Haggstrom D, Felip E, Kim JH, Frewer P, Cantarini M, Brown KH, Dickinson PA, Ghiorghiu S, Ranson M. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 30;372(18):1689-99. Publication link.
AZD9291, an irreversible EGFR TKI, overcomes T790M-mediated resistance to EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer.
Cross DA, Ashton SE, Ghiorghiu S, Eberlein C, Nebhan CA, Spitzler PJ, Orme JP, Finlay MR, Ward RA, Mellor MJ, Hughes G, Rahi A, Jacobs VN, Red Brewer M, Ichihara E, Sun J, Jin H, Ballard P, Al-Kadhimi K, Rowlinson R, Klinowska T, Richmond GH, Cantarini M, Kim DW, Ranson MR, Pao W. Cancer Discov. 2014 Sep;4(9):1046-61. Publication link.
Phase III study of gefitinib compared with intravenous methotrexate for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
Stewart JS, Cohen EE, Licitra L, Van Herpen CM, Khorprasert C, Soulieres D, Vodvarka P, Rischin D, Garin AM, Hirsch FR, Varella-Garcia M, Ghiorghiu S, Hargreaves L, Armour A, Speake G, Swaisland A, Vokes EE. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Apr 10;27(11):1864-71. Publication link.