Credentials
Attending Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH),
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School,
Director of Breast Cancer Research Program at MGH
Boston, Massachusetts
Research Projects
Most cancer deaths occur due to metastases. Among the breast cancer subtypes, triple- negative breast cancer (TNBC), is associated with aggressive behavior and high mortality, which has not changed over the past two decades. While chemotherapy traditionally has been the mainstay of management it is associated with limited efficacy and significant toxicity in this setting.
Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are a new class of medications that composed of antibody linked to active therapeutic agents for selective delivery of cytotoxic drugs preferentially to cancer cells. Dr. Aditay Bardia’s team led the clinical development of a novel ADC called sacituzumab govitecan, for patients with metastatic TNBC. There are number of other ADCs in clinical development targeting other antigens, such as HER2.
However, currently there is no diagnostic test to help detect the presence of these markers in “real-time” and guide selection the “right drug” for the “right patient”.
To address the unmet clinical need, Dr. Bardia will leverage the innovative cancer cell detection technology with his expertise in development of molecular assays using circulating tumor cells to develop a diagnostic test for ADCs and accelerate development of novel precision antibody-based therapies for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
IMPACT
If successful, the model could be applied to other settings and potentially improve the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced solid tumors, who otherwise have a poor prognosis.
Background
Dr. Aditya Bardia, a board-certified medical oncologist, is an Attending Physician and Director of Breast Cancer Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Dr. Bardia has led the clinical development of sacituzumab govitecan, the first ADC approved for patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer.
He has received several research awards including outstanding award for research excellence at Mayo Clinic, Young Investigator Award from ASCO, and Douglas Family Foundation prize for excellence in oncology research at MGH. Dr. Bardia is the editor of precision medicine clinic section of The Oncologist, co-leader of the Molecular and Precision (MAP) tumor board at MGH, and editorial board member of ASCO molecular oncology tumor board.
The National Foundation for Cancer Research wishes to thank the Sorenson Legacy Foundation for its generous support to expand on this critical research initiative.
