SAKK and Partners honors cancer research projects

The Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) has been promoting independent, high-quality clinical cancer research in Switzerland for decades. At its 2025 Semi-Annual Meeting in Interlaken, SAKK honored seven outstanding research projects with awards totaling CHF 210,000.

The recipients included both established and early-career researchers whose studies are making significant contributions to the advancement of oncology and hematology. Through the SAKK Awards and close collaboration with industry and research partners, SAKK actively supports young scientific talent and reinforces Switzerland’s international standing in clinical cancer research.

The Winners with Prof. Dr. med. Miklos Pless (President) and Vincent Gruntz (CEO).

The winners 2025

"SAKK/AbbVie Digital Innovation Award": an atlas for better biomarkers in prostate cancer

The Prostate Cancer Gene Expression Atlas collects RNA sequencing data from patients with prostate cancer. These data can be used to make precise statements about the expression of target molecules or the activation of certain signalling pathways. Dr Giuseppe Salfi, together with Dr Jean-Philippe Theurillat from the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, would like to integrate clinical data into this atlas and generate a user-friendly web tool.

This open-access web tool is designed to help researchers worldwide discover new biomarkers for progression and treatment response in prostate cancer.

From the left: Miklos Pless, Giuseppe Salfi, Thomas Birchler

"SAKK/Astellas GU-Oncology" Award: a coagulation factor as a new therapeutic target in prostate cancer

An increased tendency of the blood to clot is often associated with cancer. Until now, however, the extent to which the coagulation factors involved had an impact on tumour growth was not known. Dr Bianca Calì from the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, and her team have now been able to investigate the environment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in a mouse model using single-cell RNA sequencing and found that certain immunosuppressive cells are an important source of coagulation factor X (FX).

The study shows possibilities for potential additional therapeutic approaches in the treatment of prostate cancer, which should be investigated further.

From the left: Maria Böhm, Bianca Calì, Thomas Zilli

"SAKK/BMS HEM Pioneer" Grant: risk evaluation before CAR T-cell therapy

CAR T-cell therapy is the standard treatment for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This form of immunotherapy offers good efficacy, but in some cases second primary T-cell lymphomas (TCL) or second primary myeloid neoplasms (SPMN) occur.

Dr Guido Ghilardi from the Instituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, is researching the biological properties of SPMNs after CAR-T cell treatment. His assumption is that the characteristics of the SPMNs do not differ from clones that may have been present before immunotherapy and that develop into an SPMN after CAR-T infusion. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would be possible in clinical practice to identify patients with a higher risk of developing SPMNs after treatment even before CAR-T cell therapy.

From the left: Miklos Pless (Representing Gabriela Baerlocher), Guido Ghilardi, Erich Weber

"SAKK//Gilead Expanding Horizons in Oncology" Award:  can more breast cancer patients benefit from foregoing surgical axillary treatment?

Axillary lymph node metastases are an important prognostic factor in breast cancer. The standard method for staging clinically node-negative patients is sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. In clinically node-negative, SLN biopsy-positive patients, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be dispensed with, as various clinical studies have shown.

The funded international training stay of Dr. Nadia Maggi, University Hospital Basel, at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (SE) aims to identify further patient populations that could benefit from de-escalation of surgical axillary treatment within the framework of the research collaboration.

Outcomes that have the potential to change practice could reduce the arm morbidity associated with ALND for more breast cancer patients without worsening their prognosis. The knowledge gained through this funding has the potential to make a highly effective contribution to advances in breast cancer treatment in Switzerland and internationally, and to further strengthen Switzerland's leading position in this field

From the left: Miklos Pless (representing Sacha Rothschild), Nadia Maggi, Ramon Thali

"SAKK/Incyte HERo in Science Award": TerbinaPro – an antifungal agent for more tolerable therapy in recurrent prostate cancer

In about 20-50% of patients who have completed treatment for localised prostate cancer, a recurrence occurs within 10 years. This is usually characterised by rising PSA values. In the TerbinaPro phase II study, Dr Stefanie Fischer from HOCH Health Eastern Switzerland would, therefore, like to further investigate the effect of terbinafine in advanced or recurrent prostate cancer. In this multi-centre SAKK study, patients receive either 250 mg or 500 mg of terbinafine for 12 months.

If the study results are positive, terbinafine could represent a tolerable treatment option for prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence and thus substantially improve their quality of life. Patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant prostate cancer could also benefit.

From the left:  Martin Früh, Viviane Hess, Stefanie Fischer (Screen), Nicolas Stephens

“SAKK/Novartis Together for Patients Award”: personalised medicine for a better quality of life in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The quality of life of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is severely restricted by the type and location of this tumour. Some of those affected have difficulty speaking, choke when eating, hear less well and suffer from pain or shortness of breath. In addition, the aesthetic and functional consequences of the disease often lead to isolation, anxiety and depression.

Based on the 116 patients enrolled to date, Dr Nicolas Dulguerov will investigate the effects of the disease and its treatment on the quality of life of those affected and also analyse the functional consequences of the disease. The impact of the treatment on the quality of life of those affected can be quantified while accounting for various factors such as tumour location and medical history. The project will also produce information brochures to support those affected and their families during treatment.

From the left: Miklos Pless, Nicolas Dulguerov, Milica Zecevic

«SAKK/Roche Young Investigator Award»: using the “breath signature” to diagnose fungal infections

Men with prostate cancer are currently treated palliatively with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) by means of surgical or medical castration. The lack of testosterone causes unpleasant side effects, and the treatment can often only moderately extend the survival of those affected. The project of

Fungal infections are problematic in patients with an impaired immune system, for example due to haematological malignancies, neutropenia or transplants, and contribute to increased mortality. This is partly due to the difficulty of diagnosing fungal infections at an early stage. As a fast and reliable diagnostic tool for fungal infections, Dr Kevin Hofer from the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) is now investigating the breath of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia using gas chromatography-spectrometry in the REDEFINE study.

The benefit: the method offers a short analysis time, has a broad coverage and can detect volatile molecules in high resolution, which also allows conclusions to be drawn about the pathophysiological mechanisms.

Kevin Hofer picked up his prize a day later.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Photos: https://steffenkruse.ch/