/ en Thu, 20 Nov 25 05:00:00 -0500 /news/how-academic-industry-alliance-reshaping-way-research-can-lead-new-medicines <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000 leah@broadinstitute.org 5559726 at /news/study-identifies-genetic-targets-could-improve-car-t-therapies <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue 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field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:01:58 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559411 at /news/breast-cancer-therapy-can-raise-uterine-cancer-risk-through-unique-mechanism <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source 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class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:01:54 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559301 at /news/blood-based-test-provides-new-diagnostic-approach-multiple-myeloma <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:00:00 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559256 at /news/boston-childrens-hospital-dana-farber-cancer-institute-and-broad-clinical-labs-launch <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:19:13 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559306 at /news/genomics-points-potential-targeted-treatment-options-pediatric-gliomas <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source 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class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:13:45 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559231 at /news/genomic-score-predicts-patients-progression-multiple-myeloma <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 21 May 2025 21:00:58 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5558731 at /news/whyiscience-qa-computational-biologists-world-travels-have-shaped-her-approach-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:57:24 +0000 Corie Lok 5557961 at /news/targeted-drug-treatment-leads-tumor-cells-imitate-viral-infection <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source 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field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and 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class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:15:09 +0000 arinavetta 5557116 at /news/qa-new-approaches-are-needed-find-better-cancer-drug-targets <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Q&A: How an academic-industry alliance is reshaping the way research can lead to new medicines</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý researchers Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich describe how they and Bayer scientists developed the first FDA-approved cancer drug to come from a ӳ����ý scientific discovery.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Leah Eisenstadt </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-20T05:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 05:00" class="datetime">November 20, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=PDNn0_C4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=wFBLPHiS 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=TJBRod-C 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=6zrg5SyE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Sevabertinib_main.jpg?itok=qv2Lgq8O" alt="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" title="A portrait of two scientists, a man and a woman, in an office setting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson and Heidi Greulich made early discoveries about lung cancer mutations that enabled the development of a new FDA-approved treatment for some patients with the disease. </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/594/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/594/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/594/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="font-family:Open Sans;background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:2em;margin-bottom:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1">A lung cancer drug recently approved by the FDA is the result both of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313" target="_blank">discoveries made</a> by ӳ����ý scientists two decades ago, and of a unique, years-long partnership between ӳ����ý and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. </li> <li aria-level="1">The ӳ����ý-Bayer team overcame many scientific challenges to develop the new medicine.</li> <li aria-level="1">This is a research success story that shows how two decades of basic cancer research and long-term collaboration between academia and industry can generate new treatments for patients.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-with-sidebar text-with-sidebar"> <div class="field field--name-field-sidebar field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar-articles sidebar-articles"> <div class="sidebar-articles__col"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Related news</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-reference field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background."> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=LVdwspci 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=vYaoxRr7 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=7k1bTjks 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/longstory/News_Buyer%20Drug_Final.png?itok=ZeuJsjhM" alt="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." title="A graphic showing pink lungs highlighted with a blue circle on top of an outline of a human torso, with DNA strands in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-bayer-collaboration-leads-drug-candidate-hard-treat-type-lung-cancer" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration leads to drug candidate for a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Gd6Dp_hF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=Tqe-BJ1V 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=-hwGrOz0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration"><img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/Generic-ӳ����ý-image-2.jpg?itok=NLf1-6yt" alt="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" title="Photo of the ӳ����ý sign outside of the ӳ����ý building at 415 Main St" typeof="foaf:Image"></a> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/bayer-and-broad-institute-extend-cancer-therapy-research-collaboration" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bayer and ӳ����ý extend cancer therapy research collaboration</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/broad-institute-and-bayer-join-forces-develop-novel-treatment-options-cancer-therapy" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">ӳ����ý and Bayer join forces to develop novel treatment options in cancer therapy</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The FDA’s recent <a href="/node/5559731">accelerated approval of a lung cancer drug</a> is not only a milestone for the ӳ����ý — it also shows how academic scientists with deep knowledge in cancer biology and industry experts in drug development working closely together over many years can solve the numerous challenges involved in making a new medicine. </p> <p>The drug from Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, sevabertinib, is the first FDA-approved cancer treatment to come from a ӳ����ý discovery, and is the result of a unique and more than decade-long alliance between ӳ����ý and Bayer scientists. To learn more about how the drug was developed, the challenges that nearly stalled the effort, and the future outlook for new cancer drugs, we spoke with ӳ����ý team leaders <a href="/bios/matthew-meyerson">Matthew Meyerson</a>, an institute member at the ӳ����ý, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and <a href="/bios/heidi-greulich">Heidi Greulich</a>, an institute scientist and senior group leader in the ӳ����ý’s Cancer Program.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What scientific discoveries led to the development of this new treatment?</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--left"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=UmB7MAXR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/MatthewMeyerson_headshot2025.jpg?itok=uuuPo7wv" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses, a blue dress shirt, and a jacket standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Matthew Meyerson</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Matthew Meyerson </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Matthew Meyerson: If we go back to the year 2000, there were really no medical treatment options for patients with metastatic lung cancer. This changed with the beginning of genomic studies of lung cancer. In 2004, my colleagues Bill Sellers and Bruce Johnson and I <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1099314" target="_blank">reported</a> our discovery that many lung tumors harbored mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (<em>EGFR</em>) gene. This helped solve the mystery of why the early targeted treatments that inhibited EGFR worked so well for some patients. We soon saw an explosion of new treatment options that targeted EGFR and other genes. Today, thanks to these medicines, some lung cancer patients with metastatic disease can survive ten years or more, which was unimaginable before these genomic discoveries. But not all patients have benefited.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-text paragraph--view-mode--right"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-text-left-right-"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_laptop/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=7kJQ5NEM 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="413" height="315"/> <img loading="lazy" width="413" height="315" src="/files/styles/pt_image_text_left_right_phone/public/2025-11/HeidiGreulich_headshot2025.jpg?itok=48RT2kxF" alt="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." title="A headshot of a scientist wearing glasses and a sweater standing in an office setting." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> <div class="media-caption">Heidi Greulich</div> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Bethany Versoy </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Heidi Greulich </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heidi Greulich: Twenty years ago, Matthew and I discovered that tumors from some patients who didn’t respond to EGFR inhibitors carried particular mutations in the <em>EGFR</em> gene known as “exon 20 insertions.” Those mutations were also found in the related gene for HER2. We knew that we would need something different to treat these patients, but the opportunity to develop a therapeutic for these patients didn't present itself until 10 years later when we started the ӳ����ý-Bayer collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How did the ӳ����ý and Bayer work together to develop sevabertinib?</strong></p> <p>MM: Collaborations between academia and industry play a huge role in driving forward medical research across many fronts, including cancer research. Academic research is the most likely to create truly novel breakthroughs that can become the basis for drug discovery in the long term, while industry has the capabilities to develop, engineer, and test new drugs at a very large scale. Marrying these capabilities provides a special opportunity to bring new treatments, new diagnoses, and new options for patients everywhere.</p> <p>HG: Each party brought different expertise to the table and we worked together as a cohesive project team. At the ӳ����ý, we brought genomics expertise, deep knowledge of lung cancer biology, and a little bit of the “outside-the-box” kind of thinking to the project. Bayer brought the drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology expertise, in addition to capabilities for launching and running clinical trials.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image-with-caption image-with-caption"> <div class="image-with-caption__col"> <div class="image-with-caption__col-row"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-pt-image-with-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture role="img" aria-label="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample."> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_desktop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vj1YeE31 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1256" height="689"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_laptop/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=cwNJR5Gd 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1221" height="584"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_tablet/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Ii_VpqDN 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="707" height="466"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="329"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="329" src="/files/styles/pt_image_with_caption_phone/public/2025-11/10.28.25%20BROAD-Lab%20Photos_%20003ps.jpg?h=790be497&itok=Vhn6jWYR" alt="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." title="Two female scientists in a lab wearing white lab coats examine a sample." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> </article> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>ӳ����ý team members Kristyna Kotynkova (left) and Gizem Uzunbas (right) contributed to the research that led to sevabertinib's approval.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Contributions to this project were also made by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s technology platforms, including the <a href="/genetic-perturbation-platform">Genetic Perturbation Platform</a>, the <a href="/center-development-therapeutics-cdot">Center for the Development of Therapeutics</a>, and the <a href="/proteomics">Proteomics Platform</a>, and by colleagues in the ӳ����ý’s <a href="/cancer">Cancer Program</a>.</p> <p><strong>What were some of the challenges you faced in developing this new medicine?</strong></p> <p>HG: We encountered many challenges during the course of this project, so it wasn't smooth sailing all the way through. In fact, when we started the project, there were no cellular models available so we had to come up with a cellular assay that we could use to test early compounds.</p> <p>Our initial cell assay was unstable, but heroic efforts from senior research associate Bethany Kaplan helped to stabilize the assay so that it was robust enough for compound testing. In addition, our chemistry colleagues at Bayer worked for years to improve the potency, selectivity, and stability of the compounds to eventually develop sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>How did two decades of basic cancer research contribute to the development of the new drug?</strong></p> <p>MM: The development of sevabertinib is a real testament to the power of long-term collaborative partnerships. Heidi and I have been working together on EGFR and HER2 for 22 years now, and we've developed a lot of knowledge of these molecules and how they behave. Before that,  Bill Sellers and I worked to explore alterations of tyrosine kinase enzymes in human cancer that led to the EGFR discovery. And going back even further, Bill and ӳ����ý director Todd Golub and I worked to understand what happens in the genomes of human cancers more broadly. These long-term scientific collaborations and all the biological insight that came from them, along with our deep and continued commitment to solving the same problems, have really helped us to get to where we are today with the development of sevabertinib.</p> <p><strong>What’s next for sevabertinib and similar efforts?</strong></p> <p>MM: It is an extraordinary time to make many new treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases as well. The success of sevabertinib is a real proof-of-concept that we can do this again. If we can keep targeting the genomic causes of cancer in a disciplined and persistent way, we will continue making further advances in cancer treatment, so it’s important that we keep this momentum going forward. Here at the ӳ����ý, with our industry partners, we could do this again, not just once, not just twice, but many, many more times, and I’m looking forward to our opportunities to do that.</p> <p><strong>Seeing this effort come to fruition after so many years of hard work, what are your reflections on this milestone?</strong></p> <p>MM: As a cancer researcher, it's just an incredible honor and privilege to be part of a team that has brought forward a new medicine that can help people with the terrible disease of lung cancer.</p> <p>HG: Not all academic scientists have the opportunity to initiate and execute a drug discovery project that directly benefits patients, so we’ve been incredibly fortunate in this respect. The development of sevabertinib is also really meaningful for me personally. Both my parents passed away from cancer, and my father from lung cancer in particular. So the fact that I've made a contribution to help other lung cancer patients resonates with me and makes me really glad I come to work every day at the ӳ����ý.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer-program" hreflang="en">Cancer Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/matthew-meyerson" hreflang="en">Matthew Meyerson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000 adicorat 5556306 at