The 2026 IO-ACT Summit is supported, in part, by: Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Kite and Novartis (supporters as of April 28, 2026).

Silver Supporter

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc

Program Supporter

ClearView

Corporate Advisory Council Members

Astellas Logo

Corporate Advisory Council Members

AstraZeneca Logo

Corporate Advisory Council Members

BMS Logo

Corporate Advisory Council Members

Gilead Logo

Corporate Advisory Council Members

Kite

Corporate Advisory Council Members

Novartis Logo

Program Organizers

Leisha Emens, MD, PhD

Chair
Leisha Emens, MD, PhD
Calico Lifesciences LLC

Cong Chen, PhD

Cong Chen, PhD, FASA
Merck

James Gulley, MD, PhD

James Gulley, MD, PhD
National Cancer Institute, SITC

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH
CEO Roundtable / Project Data Sphere

Zhen Su, MD, MBA

Zhen Su, MD, MBA
Marengo Therapeutics

Zhen Su, MD, MBA

Marc Theoret, MD
Iovance Biotherapeutics

Participants

Jeff Allen, PhD
FOCR

Laleh Amiri-Kordestani, MD
FDA

Carlo Bifulco, MD
Providence Genomics

Alice Chen, MD
NIH National Cancer Institute

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA
UCSF

Antonio Fojo, MD, PhD
Columbia University

Federica Fusar Poli
Clearview Healthcare Partners

Daina Graybosch, PhD
Leerink Partners

Marjorie Green, MD
Merck

Susan Halabi, PhD
Duke University

John Heymach, MD, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Scott Kopetz, PhD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Minetta Liu, MD
Natera Inc.

Amy McKee, MD
AstraZeneca

Abhi Nair, MD
FDA

Richard Pazdur, MD
Pazdur Direct, LLC

Reena Philip, PhD
Merck

Kerry Reynolds, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Eric Rubin, MD

Afreen Shariff, MD
Duke Cancer Institute

Mark Socinski, MD
AdventHealth Cancer Institute

Ryan Sullivan, MD
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital

Suzanne Topalian, MD, FAIO
Johns Hopkins University

Kelsey Yardumian
Clearview Healthcare Partners

Dimitrios Zardavas, MD
Bristol Myers Squibb

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Program Summary

The framework of IO-ACT will focus on three key pillars:

  • Advance the cancer immunotherapy field forward
  • Collaborate across all stakeholders with a collective goal
  • Transform millions of lives with the next wave of IO therapies

This proposed inaugural effort in 2026 will focus on the new generation of bispecific immunotherapies targeting PD-1 and VEGF which has emerged as a priority class of therapies. It is estimated that 30–50 Phase III trials are or will initiate over the next two years.

Collectively, these studies may exceed $20–30 billion in cost of development, and with multiple academic and industry groups advancing similar agents into clinical trials, the field faces increasing risks of redundancy, inefficiency, and regulatory uncertainty.

IO-ACT will serve as a launch point for practical conversations on how the field can collaborate at a pre-competitive level towards ensuring success for all involved stakeholders and cancer patients. Discussions will focus on addressing modality-specific barriers to access within the pre- and post-approval settings.

Program Schedule

July 20, 2026

Schedule subject to change. Session time slots are being finalized.

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IO-ACT Summit: PD-1xVEGF
Monday, July 20, 2026
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Check-In
8:30–8:35 a.m.
Opening Remarks
8:35–8:50 a.m.
Opening Talk
PD-1xVEGF Combination State of the Field
Presenter
Daina Graybosch, PhD — Leerink Partners
8:50–9:05 a.m.
Opening Talk
Biostatistical Perspective Post-ASCO
Presenter
Cong Chen, PhD, FASA — Merck & Co., Inc.
9:05–9:50 a.m.
Panel
Building on Lessons Learned from Original Wave of PD-1
Moderator
Marc Theoret, MD — Iovance Biotherapeutics
Panelists
Jeff Allen, PhD — Friends of Cancer Research
Reena Philip, PhD — Merck
Eric Rubin, MD
Suzanne Topalian, MD, FAIO — Johns Hopkins Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
9:50–10:35 a.m.
Panel
Innovative Control Arm
Moderator
James Gulley, MD, PhD, FACP — National Cancer Institute, SITC
Panelists
Laleh Amiri-Kordestani, MD — FDA
Susan Halabi, PhD — Duke University
Antonio Fojo, MD, PhD — Columbia University
Richard Pazdur, MD — Pazdur Direct, LLC
10:35–10:55 a.m.
Networking Break
10:55–11:40 a.m.
Panel
Platform Trial Model
Moderator
Leisha Emens, MD, PhD — Calico Lifesciences LLC
Panelists
Alice Chen, MD — NIH National Cancer Institute
Laura Esserman, MD, MBA — UCSF Breast Care Center
Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD — University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mark Socinski, MD — AdventHealth Cancer Institute
11:40 a.m.–12:25 p.m.
Panel
Toxicity Characterization
Moderator
Amy McKee, MD — AstraZeneca
Panelists
Abhi Nair, MD — FDA
Kerry Renolds, MD — Massachusetts General Hospital
Afreen Shariff, MD — Duke Cancer Institute
Ryan Sullivan, MD — Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
12:25–1:25 p.m.
Lunch Break
1:25–2:10 p.m.
Panel
Biomarker and Companion Diagnostic (CDx) Network
Moderator
Leisha Emens, MD, PhD — Calico Lifesciences LLC
Panelists
Jeff Allen, PhD — Friends of Cancer Research
Carlo Bifulco, MD — Providence Genomics
Minetta Liu, MD — Natera Inc.
2:10–2:55 p.m.
Panel
Accelerating Progress Through Trial Design and Regulatory Innovation
Moderator
Sean Khozin, MD, MPH — CEO Roundtable on Cancer / Project Data Sphere
Panelists
Laleh Amiri-Kordestani, MD — FDA
Marjorie Green, MD — Merck
Zhen Su, MD, MBA — Marengo Therapeutics
Dimitrios Zardavas, MD — Bristol Myers Squibb
2:55–3:10 p.m.
Networking Break
3:10–3:25 p.m.
Report Back
Actualizing Progress and Next Steps — Report Back from ClearView Healthcare Partners
Moderator
James Gulley, MD, PhD, FACP — National Cancer Institute, SITC
Panelists
Federica Fusar Poli — ClearView Healthcare Partners
Kelsey Yardumian — ClearView Healthcare Partners
3:25–3:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Program Details

Outputs and Repurposing

IO-ACT would result in an executive summary that details the outcomes from each panel discussion. These panels will be geared towards actionable next steps and priorities for the field/SITC that can best drive towards better development and access. Examples of actionable outcomes could include educational materials, toxicity guidelines, and/or control arm pilot projects. Generated concepts can serve as a foundational material for future conversations with involved stakeholders on how SITC can best support the field.

Target Audience

As an invitation-only event, SITC will not recruit an audience to this event. The stakeholders invited will include companies with active pipelines in area of focus. Strategic invites will include industry (Pfizer, BMS, Merck, BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Summit, etc.), CROs, biotech, diagnostic companies, disease experts (lung, CRC, breast) and FDA and key regulators. Faculty may be invited to bring a fellow or student with them to the event.

Learning Objectives

As an invitation only event, this is not a traditional educational program with learning objectives. However, the program will result with an executive summary.