Bob Li, SVP Global Head of Medical Affairs of Oncology at AstraZeneca, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Our Cancer Networks meetings at ASCO 26 were powerful examples of what happens when AstraZeneca brings together global investigators, academic networks and community partners with a singular, shared focus: to accelerate equitable clinical trials access worldwide.
Here are some highlights and key insights that stuck with me from these conversations:
COSMOS GI Plenary
I had the honor of speaking at this convening together with AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, our EVP David Fredrickson and ASCO’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julie Gralow.
We acknowledged a truth shared around the world: the vast majority of patients are treated in their local communities, far from major academic centers, and often lack access to clinical trials and guideline-concordant care.
To bridge this gap, our panels explored how unlocking the potential of global collaborations can expand access to clinical trials and innovative diagnostics to underserved and rural populations, focusing on how we can standardize care using real-world clinical insights to ensure patients receive guideline concordant care closer to home.
Despite the busy days leading up to this last evening of the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the room was filled with energy with 100+ leading GI oncology physicians and AstraZeneca senior leaders.
CHORUS Breast Steering Board Meeting
In our CHORUS Breast steering board meeting, the energy was focused entirely on how we enhance real-world execution. If we want oncology trials to be successful in community and lower-resource settings, they must be designed to fit the daily realities of those clinics.
We were joined by world leading oncologists, and connected premier research centers to community practices across the globe.
We had deeply meaningful discussions about looking beyond traditional survival metrics to focus heavily on a patient’s actual quality of life, prioritizing pragmatic protocols that capture long-term tolerability, and simplifying the trial and enhancing the patient experience through hybrid, decentralized models and smart digital data collection.
Both of these sessions reinforced why Cancer Networks are so vital. To scale impact for patients, we must build a seamless, supportive bridge between elite research hubs and local community clinics. By simplifying our study designs and strengthening our connections, we can help accelerate more equitable trial access, reach more patients, and ultimately accelerate the elimination of cancer as a cause of death.”
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