George Coukos, MD, PhD, Clinical Accelerator Investigator University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland Area of Research: Bladder Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Dr. George Coukos is a professor and director of the University Hospital of Lausanne Switzerland’s department of oncology. He is currently the study chair of the clinical trial “Phase 1/2 Study of Motolimod, Doxorubicin, and Durvalumab in Recurrent, Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer” (NCT02431559). This study evaluates a checkpoint immunotherapy, durvalumab (Imfinzi™), that blocks the PD-L1 pathway in combination with chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, or peritoneal cancer that is resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy. Ovarian cancer impacts 300,000 women globally each year, with 180,000 resulting deaths, making ovarian cancer the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer. The United States saw 22,000 cases and 14,000 deaths in 2018 alone. Ovarian cancer can progress significantly before a patient is diagnosed as early symptoms can be easily confused with less life-threatening digestive issues. As such, only 20% of ovarian cancers are detected before it metastasizes. Additional investigators working on this trial include: Blanca Navarro, MD, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Bradley Monk, MD, Arizona Oncology David O’Malley, MD, Ohio State University Paul DiSilvestro, MD, Woman and Infants Hospital Roisin O’Cearbhail, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Projects and Grants Phase 1/2 Study of Motolimod, Doxorubicin, and Durvalumab in Recurrent, Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer (NCT02431559) Universite de Lausanne (Switzerland) | Bladder Cancer, Other Cancer, Ovarian Cancer | 2014
