Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other cancer, accounting for an estimated 130,180 deaths annually in the United States alone.1 In the last 10 to 15 years, accelerated clinical trials and FDA approvals of targeted therapies for non-small cell lung carcinoma have been possible in part due to advances in molecular profiling of tumors. Many of these targeted therapies are directed against oncogenic drivers.
The HER family of tyrosine kinases include HER1 (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] or ERBB1), HER2 (HER2/neu or ERBB2), HER3, and HER4. EGFR mutations were one of the first oncogenic drivers that were successfully targeted with the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Despite substantial progress in this area, available treatments are generally not curative, and resistance invariably develops. HER2 mutations have also been identified as potential oncogenic drivers in lung cancer and occur in up to 4% of NSCLC.2,3 In the past two decades, several clinical trials have investigated the use of anti-HER2 therapies in lung cancer but led to disappointing results.
On August 11, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to trastuzumab deruxtecan for patients with unresectable or metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have activating HER2 mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, and who have received a prior systemic therapy.4 This was a positive step forward for patients with NSCLC whose tumors harbor these mutations. Most recently there are orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitors of HER2 that have demonstrated promising results in the treatment of HER2-mutant NSCLC.
Immunotherapeutic strategies have not been successful in the treatment of lung cancers with EGFR or HER2 mutations. It is of vital importance that there is a better understanding of the biology of HER2-mutated lung cancer as well as the mechanism of tumor response and resistance.
Moreover, given that therapeutic options available to date are not curative, there is a need for novel approaches to treat HER2-mutant lung cancers. Boehringer Ingelheim and LCRF share the belief that a team approach to solving complex issues has the greatest likelihood to have near-term impact for patients, and funding early career investigators maintains the research continuum needed for scientific discovery that leads to breakthroughs.
"We believe that supporting scientists to pursue their curiosity is key to driving meaningful progress and innovation—and that collaboration is essential to bringing groundbreaking treatments to patients," said Bjoern Rueter, U.S. Vice President, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs. "We are excited to join forces with Lung Cancer Research Foundation as we embark on a new era for cancer research and create the Team Science and Early Career Investigator awards."
"Delivering impact to patients is what drives LCRF's research program," says Dr. Antoinette Wozniak, Chief Scientific Officer for LCRF. "Research collaborations like this will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery moving forward. Our shared commitment to improving outcomes for people living with lung cancer continues to provide hope."
The LCRF|Boehringer Ingelheim Team Science Award on Innovative Approaches Toward the Treatment of HER2-Driven Lung Cancer award, is a $1.5 million, three-year award to a team of researchers whose proposals have a program of closely integrated projects focused on the science behind HER2 mutations as oncogenic drivers of malignancy and/or the development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with tumors harboring HER2 mutations.
The LCRF|Boehringer Ingelheim Early Career Investigator's Award on Innovative Approaches Toward the Treatment of HER2-Driven Lung Cancer is expected to total $750,000 for up to three, two-year awards of $250,000 each, focused on HER2 mutations.
Submissions to the Request for Proposals will be reviewed through a two-step process: Letters of Intent will be accepted until midnight on July 29, 2025; if selected, projects will then be chosen to submit full proposals. All applications will be subject to a rigorous review by LCRF's Scientific Advisory Board. More details about the Request for Proposal, along with eligibility, requirements, and deadlines can be found at LCRF.org/FundingOpportunities.
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF):
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF's mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 429 research grants, totaling nearly $48 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research.
About Boehringer Ingelheim in Oncology
We have a clear aspiration – to transform the lives of people with cancer by delivering meaningful advances, with the ultimate goal of curing a range of cancers. Boehringer Ingelheim's generational commitment to driving scientific innovation is reflected by the company's robust pipeline of cancer cell-directed and immuno-oncology investigational therapies, as well as the smart combination of these approaches. Boehringer's ambition in oncology is to take a diligent and broad approach, creating a collaborative research network to tap into a diversity of minds, which is vital in addressing some of the most challenging, but potentially most impactful, areas of cancer research. Simply put, for Boehringer Ingelheim, cancer care is personal, today and for generations. Cancer.
