By Joni Sweet
C
ancer is one of the most complex and devastating diseases we face today. It’s the second-leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for nearly one in six deaths worldwide. Despite decades of research, many types of cancers still lack effective, long-lasting treatments.
The stakes are high, and so is the need for innovation. That’s why Pfizer has committed to delivering at least eight potential breakthrough medicines to treat cancer by 2030—an ambitious goal that starts with early-stage research.
“Early development is where breakthroughs begin,” says Megan O’Meara, head of early-stage development at Pfizer Oncology. “This is where we take promising science and explore what it would take to safely and effectively turn that idea into a treatment.”
Pfizer’s oncology pipeline spans more than 50 programs, many of which are aimed at common, yet difficult-to-treat cancers, like lung, breast, bladder, and blood cancers. Several of these early programs have already advanced into Phase 3 trials in recent years, which is typically the final testing stage before a treatment can be approved for patients.
With a proven track record in oncology and world-class capabilities in drug development, Pfizer is focusing early-stage development on three types of new medicines that hold significant promise in advancing the future of cancer treatment: small molecules, bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
“Each works differently and has the potential to work alone or in combination to create powerful new cancer therapies,” explains O’Meara.
“Early development is where breakthroughs begin...This is where we take promising science and explore what it would take to safely and effectively turn that idea into a treatment.”
Megan O’Meara — head of early-stage development at Pfizer Oncology
Small molecules, which can be taken as oral medicines, are tiny compounds that can squeeze inside cancer cells and interfere with the proteins that help them grow and multiply. This helps treat tumors while minimizing harm to healthy cells. By making these therapies more precise and easier to tolerate, Pfizer aims to offer new hope to cancer patients facing treatment resistance or difficult side effects.
Bispecific antibodies are another core area of early-stage research at Pfizer. These therapies activate the body’s immune system to find and attack cancer cells. In 2023, Pfizer earned approval for a bispecific antibody medication to treat advanced multiple myeloma. It’s now exploring the use of bispecific antibodies for other cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, potentially in combination with ADCs.
“I’m particularly proud of the work we’re doing with ADCs, which are among the most transformative and promising treatments in cancer today,” O’Meara says. “ADCs are like guided missiles that are designed to deliver cancer-killing drugs directly to tumors, while limiting damage to healthy cells.”
Pfizer brought the first-ever ADC to the market for people with leukemia more than 20 years ago. Since then, it has had a hand in about half of ADCs that have earned approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer’s continuing to build on that legacy by investigating a new generation of ADCs for multiple cancer types, including colorectal cancer and cancers of the lung, head, and neck.
While this science is promising, early-stage development is full of uncertainty. Around 90 percent of clinical drug development ends in failure, according to the National Institutes of Health, so Pfizer is casting a wide net to increase the chances of finding successful treatments. Its pipeline includes more than 25 potential new medicines to treat cancer more precisely and with fewer side effects.
“We know that we won’t make progress by doing the same things that we’ve always done, so we take what we learn from the clinic to test bold ideas, explore new targets, and pursue innovative approaches,” says O’Meara.
To help speed up the process, Pfizer has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) to support its early-stage cancer research and zero in on candidates for successful treatments. Oncology research scientists previously needed weeks or months to analyze large datasets to find an appropriate drug target, but with AI, that process can be done in a fraction of the time.
“With digital technologies like AI, our scientific achievements in cancer have the potential to be smarter, more accurate, and faster than before—increasing the likelihood that they will lead to an impactful medicine,” O’Meara explains.
Pfizer’s focus on innovation goes beyond the lab, though. The company is rethinking how it designs clinical trials—keeping real people, their experiences, and their needs in mind from the start. This includes testing new medicines in ways that better reflect how they’ll be used in real-world settings.
“That means enrolling participants who reflect the patient population, listening to their experiences, and designing studies that fit into their lives,” says O’Meara. “It’s how we make the science better, together.”
Even with faster tools and a robust pipeline, the path from discovery to bringing treatment to patients is rarely straightforward. Early-stage development requires not just asking whether a therapy works, but understanding why it works—or why it doesn’t. These insights can turn promising ideas into life-changing therapies.
“There’s so much potential in early science, but it has to translate into meaningful impact for people, and that can be hard to predict,” says O’Meara. “Sometimes the data tells us to keep going, but other times it tells us to rethink. Either way, every outcome teaches us something, and that moves the entire field forward.”
What keeps O’Meara and the rest of the team at Pfizer going, though, are the people they’re working to help. Each early discovery brings them closer to breakthroughs that could make a meaningful impact for cancer patients and their families. They’re measuring breakthroughs not just in scientific milestones, but in the moments cancer might have otherwise taken away.
“For someone facing cancer, it’s more time and the chance to plan for the future, or to hold onto the parts of life that matter most. It’s being able to make important moments and milestones, like a child graduating or getting married,” says O’Meara. “The energy across our teams, from the lab to the clinic, is focused on one thing: helping people with cancer live better and longer lives.”
