NCCN Awards Grants to Improve Care for People with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Collaboration with Taiho Oncology, Inc.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program awards funding to researchers from UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Stanford Cancer Institute.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced new funding for advancing clinical research in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC). Two grants have been awarded to creative, investigator-initiated research projects to evaluate the effectiveness of zipalertinib in the treatment of NSCLC. This initiative is made possible through a research grant provided by Taiho Oncology, Inc.

Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with an estimated 125,000 new cases of NSCLC diagnosed in 2024.¹ It affects nearly 2.5 million new people worldwide every year.² It is also the topic of numerous recent research advances. The aim of this study is to develop clinical approaches to help determine the efficacy and safety of zipalertinib in the treatment of NSCLC with EGFR mutations including Exon 20 and other uncommon/compound mutations.

"Advancing cancer care and improving cancer-related survival depends on novel discoveries," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "We're honored to support these researchers as they investigate promising new approaches for treating Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. These grants provide the opportunity to pursue innovative strategies that may lead to better outcomes for patients."

The selected projects are:

• Arjan Gower, MD, UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • L13: Phase 2 Trial of Zipalertinib in Patients with Resectable Non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR Exon 20 Insertion or Uncommon/Compound Mutations
• Joel Neal, MD, Stanford Cancer Institute
  • Adjuvant ctDNA-Adapted Personalized Treatment with Zipalertinib in Early-Stage Atypical EGFR-Mutant NSCLC (ADAPT-A)

"This research has the potential to deepen our understanding of zipalertinib as a treatment for lung cancer with EGFR Exon 20 alterations," said Harold Keer, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Taiho Oncology. "We are proud to collaborate with NCCN to support innovative lung cancer research by leading investigators, exemplifying our mission to improve the lives of patients with cancer, their families and their caregivers."

Proposals were peer reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee, which consisted of leading expert oncologists from NCCN Member Institutions. The selected projects are set to be completed within two years.

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improve the lives of people with cancer and supports preclinical, translational, and clinical research and quality improvement projects in oncology at NCCN Member Institutions. In an effort to improve collaboration in cancer research, the NCCN ORP also maintains a shared resources website, an informed consent database, and points to consider on the best practices for biorepositories, registries, and databases. For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is marking 30 years as a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation^®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38230766/ 
²https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/lung-cancer-kills-more-people-worldwide-than-other-cancers.html 

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SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network