From October 23 to 27, 2026, the Annual Meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) will be held in Madrid, Spain. As one of the most important comprehensive academic meetings in global oncology, the ESMO Annual Meeting brings together experts, scholars and clinicians from around the world to exchange views on basic research, translational medicine, clinical trials and clinical practice. It is a major international platform for presenting progress in global cancer research and for discussing the future direction of diagnosis and treatment.
At this year's ESMO congress, a number of GOBROAD experts, together with expert teams that have long taken part in GOBROAD's discipline-building and clinical collaboration, will share the latest progress in innovative cancer therapy with peers from around the world through oral presentations, poster presentations and dedicated academic sessions. Their work spans melanoma, neuroendocrine tumours, neuro-oncology, urologic tumours, gastrointestinal tumours and haematologic tumours, reflecting the practice and exploration of Chinese researchers who stay close to clinical needs and keep advancing research into innovative therapy.
LBA Highlights | From Cell Therapy to Novel Agents
Late-Breaking Abstracts (LBAs) are among the most closely watched academic content at the ESMO congress, presenting the latest research findings of major timeliness and potential clinical impact. At this year's congress, several innovative-therapy studies involving Chinese researchers have been selected as LBAs, covering different technical directions such as tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and novel bispecific antibodies, and showing the multi-dimensional progress of innovative cancer therapy from early drug development to pivotal clinical research.
GC101 TIL Therapy in Advanced Melanoma (LBA55)
In melanoma, Prof. Si Lu reported the GC101 TIL study (LBA55), an extended follow-up of a randomised, open-label, pivotal phase II trial of autologous tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy in advanced melanoma. As cell therapy gradually extends into the field of solid tumours, how to assess durability of efficacy, long-term safety and patient benefit is becoming an important direction for this research.
MRG007 (ARR-217): A CDH17-Targeting ADC (LBA34)
In innovative drug development, Prof. Li Jian reported the MRG007 (ARR-217) study (LBA34), a first-in-human study of a CDH17-targeting exatecan-class antibody-drug conjugate in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumours, providing early evidence for the subsequent clinical development of an ADC against a new target.
LBL-024: A PD-L1×4-1BB Bispecific Antibody (LBA57)
In neuroendocrine tumours, Prof. Lu Ming reported the LBL-024 study (LBA57), presenting the results of a pivotal registration phase IIb study of a novel PD-L1×4-1BB bispecific antibody as monotherapy in patients with advanced extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma who had received at least two prior lines of treatment. For this patient group, in which later-line options are relatively limited, the study will further provide clinical evaluation data for a new immunotherapeutic strategy.
From the long-term follow-up of TIL cell therapy, to the early clinical development of an ADC against a new target, and to the pivotal clinical research of a bispecific antibody, the three LBA results present sustained progress across different technical paths and stages of development. As clinical evidence continues to accumulate, the efficacy, safety and potential value of innovative treatment strategies will be assessed more systematically, providing a scientific basis for optimising future cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Multi-Dimensional Exploration of Innovative Therapy
As research into the biology of cancer continues to deepen, innovative therapy is extending from single-target and single-drug development towards the coordinated exploration of multiple technical paths and treatment strategies. At this year's congress, several studies focus on precision targeting, immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and cell therapy, addressing key questions such as treatment resistance, combination therapy, durability of efficacy and clinical translation, and accumulating new research evidence for clinical decisions across different tumour types and stages of treatment.
Urologic Tumours | Prof. Ye Dingwei's Team
In urologic tumours, the team of Prof. Ye Dingwei carried out several studies around ADCs, the tumour microenvironment and precision therapy. Two results were selected for oral presentations, focusing respectively on the clinical exploration of a novel ADC combined with immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma, and on an innovative treatment strategy targeting the tumour microenvironment, offering new ideas for research into the treatment of these diseases.
Gastrointestinal Tumours | Prof. Shen Lin's Team
In gastrointestinal tumours and related solid tumours, the team of Prof. Shen Lin carried out several clinical studies on innovative directions including bispecific antibodies, ADCs, precision targeting and cell therapy. A phase I study of GCC CAR-T in advanced colorectal cancer was selected for oral presentation, exploring the potential of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumours. Also selected for oral presentation, a study of Opamtistomig (LBL-024) combined with chemotherapy further evaluates the clinical value of this innovative immunotherapeutic strategy in the first-line treatment of advanced extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma. Together with the LBA study of LBL-024 monotherapy in later lines, the two studies approach this innovative drug from different treatment stages and regimens, presenting its multi-path clinical development.
Advanced Gastric Cancer | Prof. Li Jin's Team
The team of Prof. Li Jin focused on key clinical needs in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer and continued to advance high-quality clinical research into innovative drugs. Its randomised, double-blind, phase III trial of Jintuximab, a recombinant anti-VEGFR2 human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody, combined with paclitaxel as second-line treatment for advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma was selected for poster presentation at this year's congress, evaluating an innovative treatment regimen through rigorous trial design and providing new research evidence for the evidence-based assessment of second-line treatment strategies in advanced gastric cancer.
Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma | Prof. Guo Jun's Team
In melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, the team of Prof. Guo Jun carried out multi-level research on immunotherapy innovation, mechanisms of resistance and the durability of patient benefit. A study of a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody was selected for a rapid oral presentation, exploring the clinical application of a novel immunotherapeutic strategy in advanced renal cell carcinoma. Other studies also covered treatment options after resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors, TIL cell therapy, and analyses of efficacy and resistance mechanisms based on molecular features. From the clinical evaluation of novel treatment regimens to in-depth study of the biological characteristics of disease, these results further broaden the research dimensions of innovative therapy in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.
Neuro-Oncology | Prof. Li Wenbin's Team
In neuro-oncology, the team of Prof. Li Wenbin, guided by the needs of precision diagnosis and treatment of glioma and of innovative therapy, carried out multi-dimensional research on innovative targeted drugs, treatment strategies after recurrence and the biological characteristics of tumours. A study of HSK42360, a novel BRAF inhibitor with blood-brain barrier penetration, was selected for a rapid oral presentation, focusing on its preliminary clinical activity and safety in patients with BRAF V600-mutant glioma. Other studies by the team also covered combination therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma and the analysis of tumour cell characteristics, continuing to deepen the exploration of the difficult points in neuro-oncology treatment, from innovative drug development to the biology of disease.
Haematologic Tumours | Prof. Zhang Yajing's Team
In haematologic tumours, the team of Prof. Zhang Yajing focused on the treatment challenges of relapsed and refractory haematologic tumours, continuing to deepen research into CAR-T cell therapy strategies and their clinical application. A study of a “double-switch” sequential CAR-T therapy for relapsed or refractory Burkitt lymphoma was selected for poster presentation at this year's congress, with a systematic analysis centred on treatment resistance, clinical efficacy and cell-kinetics characteristics. Approaching the topic from the optimisation of cell-therapy strategies and the evaluation of treatment response, the study accumulates research evidence for a deeper understanding of the clinical performance of CAR-T therapy and for exploring individualised treatment paths for relapsed and refractory haematologic tumours.
GOBROAD's Continuing Commitment
In recent years, GOBROAD Medical Group has continued to work in depth in key fields including solid tumours, haematologic tumours and brain science. Guided by clinical needs, it has deepened discipline-building, research into innovative therapy and multidisciplinary collaboration, and has steadily broadened and deepened its clinical research through open international academic exchange and cooperation.
Behind every study lies a sustained effort to solve clinical problems and a practical response to patients' treatment needs. Looking ahead, GOBROAD Medical Group will continue to deepen cooperation with experts and research institutions at home and abroad, promote the coordinated development of clinical research and discipline-building, and facilitate the exchange and sharing of international diagnostic and treatment experience and innovative results, so that more innovative research reaches the clinic and more patients can see new treatment possibilities and hope through medical progress.
This article is a press summary based on the official ESMO 2026 congress information and publicly released information about the studies presented by GOBROAD experts and collaborating teams. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified physician for any medical decision.