PharmaMar has joined the OncoDaily Grand Rounds at ESMO 2026: Sarcoma Edition as a Foundational Partner. The meeting will take place on October 23, 2026, in Madrid, bringing together leading sarcoma specialists during the ESMO 2026 Congress.
The Grand Rounds will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Novotel Madrid Feria and Airport, located just two minutes from IFEMA Madrid.
Following the Sarcoma Grand Rounds held during ASCO 2026, OncoDaily is bringing the program to ESMO to continue discussions around the clinical and scientific developments shaping the management of sarcoma.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Prof. Robin Jones and Prof. Javier Martín-Broto, with an international faculty of specialists contributing perspectives from across the sarcoma field.
OncoDaily Grand Rounds at ESMO 2026: Sarcoma Edition
PharmaMar and Four Decades of Marine Oncology
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Madrid, PharmaMar has spent four decades investigating the therapeutic potential of the sea.
The company was established around a distinctive scientific premise: marine organisms represent a largely unexplored source of compounds with potential antitumor properties. Unlike many terrestrial organisms, marine invertebrates have developed complex chemical defense mechanisms to survive in highly competitive environments. PharmaMar built its research program around identifying and studying these compounds for possible applications in cancer treatment.
Over the years, the company has conducted more than 200 marine expeditions and assembled a collection of approximately 550,000 marine invertebrate samples, which PharmaMar describes as the largest collection of its kind.
Its work covers the development process from the identification of marine compounds and chemical synthesis through preclinical and clinical research, formulation and commercialization.
Today, PharmaMar’s medicines are available in more than 70 countries through its international operations and network of partners.
“Scientific research and our commitment to patients have always been at the heart of everything we do. This year, the 40 anniversary of the company, is also a tribute to all the professionals whose dedication has helped transform a scientific vision into real therapeutic options which today benefit patients around the world.”
José María Fernández, founder and chairman of PharmaMar.
From Marine Biodiversity to Sarcoma Treatment
PharmaMar has a longstanding connection with the sarcoma field through the development of trabectedin (Yondelis).
Trabectedin was originally isolated from the Caribbean sea squirt Ecteinascidia turbinata and is now produced synthetically. Its development represented an important milestone for marine-derived anticancer drug research.
In 2007, Yondelis received European authorization for the treatment of adults with advanced soft tissue sarcoma after failure of anthracyclines and ifosfamide, or for patients considered unsuitable for these treatments. Clinical evidence has been established particularly in patients with liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma.
The development of trabectedin also demonstrated how compounds first identified in marine organisms could move from biological discovery into clinical oncology.
An Oncology Portfolio Built Around Marine-Derived Compounds
PharmaMar’s work has extended beyond sarcoma.
Its commercialized portfolio includes lurbinectedin (Zepzelca), developed for small cell lung cancer, and plitidepsin (Aplidin), developed for multiple myeloma.
The company’s research strategy remains centered on identifying compounds from marine biodiversity and investigating their potential against cancer, including rare malignancies where treatment options may remain limited.
In 2026, PharmaMar marks 40 years since its foundation, with its research continuing from its headquarters in Madrid and through subsidiaries and partnerships across international markets.
A Shared Focus on the Sarcoma Community
Sarcomas represent a highly heterogeneous group of malignancies encompassing numerous histological and molecular subtypes. Their rarity and biological diversity make specialist expertise and international scientific exchange particularly important.
The OncoDaily Grand Rounds at ESMO 2026: Sarcoma Edition will provide a dedicated setting for discussion of current evidence, treatment strategies and developments that may influence the future management of patients with sarcoma.
With its history in marine-derived oncology and its established work in soft tissue sarcoma, PharmaMar joins the meeting as a Foundational Partner, supporting the scientific exchange taking place in Madrid.
The Grand Rounds will be held on October 23, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Novotel Madrid Feria and Airport, Madrid, Spain, during the ESMO 2026 Congress.
