Lugano, Switzerland / Hong Kong SAR, China, 16 July – The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), which represents a global community of over 40,000 oncology professionals, is proud to announce the inaugural ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies (TAT) Asia Congress 2025, to be held from 18–20 July 2025.

Set against the backdrop of dynamic Hong Kong—rapidly emerging as a key hub for early drug development and biotech innovation—the congress will convene a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, regulators and policymakers to foster collaboration and accelerate the development of innovative cancer therapies.

The ESMO TAT Asia Congress 2025 is placed to become a catalyst for global collaboration and innovation in oncology, recognising the region’s growing leadership in early drug development and creating new opportunities for cross-border partnerships.

The programme at a glance

• Keynote addresses examining the historical evolution and future directions of drug development:
  • “Global development of phase I developmental therapeutics: An odyssey through recent decades” Keynote address by Lillian L. Siu, 19 July, 11:35 - 12:05 HKT.
  • "Fast forward to the future: Personalised drug development for lung cancer” Keynote address by Tony S.K. Mok, 20 July, 11:35 - 12:05 HKT.

• Sessions designed to incorporate a multi-stakeholder approach, offering a broad spectrum of perspectives and fostering conversations on critical topics within this field of oncology research. Among others, areas of focus include:
  • Emerging insights into next-generation anti-cancer biologics
  • The acceleration of drug development through early screening for tumour-agnostic potential
  • Practical applications and future directions of radioligand therapies, radioactive drugs that hunt and kill cancer cells, and theranostics, solutions that use one molecule for both diagnosis and treatment
  • The integration of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and clinical trial design
  • Innovative designs for phase I trials

• Abstract sessions featuring 94 studies with advances in cell and gene therapies, biomarker-driven strategies, dose optimisation approaches, digital and AI-powered clinical tools. Notable highlights include:
  • CAR-T therapies in gastric cancer and a specific type of lymphoma (23O, 24O)
  • Improving access to clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region and generating high-quality real-world evidence for novel therapies outside clinical trials (88O, 89O)
  • The value of incorporating Patient-Reported Outcome data into early-phase dose-finding trials (87O, 115O)
  • New genetic target in cervical cancer and the use of transcriptomics and machine learning for potential drugs repurposing (94O)

The abstracts will be published online as a supplement to ESMO Open and can be viewed through the online programme.

Press accreditation
ESMO welcomes press representatives working for recognised press outlets interested in obtaining information and reporting on cancer issues, upon presentation of a letter of assignment and a valid press card. Press representatives are required to observe and abide by the ESMO Policy on Press Activities and the embargo schedule for ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Asia Congress 2025. To apply for press accreditation, please fill out the form available here.

Third Parties Media registration
Third Parties Media representatives and Filming Crews not eligible as press must abide by the ESMO Policy on Media Activities Organised by Third Parties and can request a Third Parties Media badge through registration@esmo.org (Cc media@esmo.org).

Further information
ESMO Press Office
press@esmo.org