Clinical trials were a common thread throughout the day. Dr. Thomas Lynch, Fred Hutch Cancer Center (pictured, left), moderated a high-energy conversation on threats to clinical trial sustainability, including declining patient accrual, increasing competition with China and Australia, and persistent hurdles to shortening trial activation timelines. 

Dr. Lynch was joined on the panel by Dr. Thomas J. George, UF Health Cancer Institute; Dr. Margie Kasner, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson; Dr. Patricia LoRusso, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine; and Dina Aziz, UT MD Anderson.

Panelists focused on contracts and budgets as critical elements of clinical trial activation and noted that activating trials in 30 days or less will require collaboration and support from stakeholders across industry, professional associations, cancer centers, and federal agencies.

They stressed the importance of moving quickly to remain competitive and highlighted the NCI's focus on speeding the clinical trial activation process under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Letai, who tapped AACI to spearhead this work with its Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Steering Committee.

The next panel, moderated by Dr. Louis M. Weiner, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, shifted focus to emerging innovations in cancer care. Dr. Gianpietro Dotti, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed the use of CAR T cells for therapies that attack tumors while sparing normal tissue. Dr. Trang VoPham, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, shared harm mitigation efforts drawing from electronic health records and geospatial air pollution data.

Continuing the discussion of China's expanding footprint in biomedical research, Stephen Ezell, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, provided an overview of the intentional policies that positioned the United States as a biopharmaceutical leader in the 1980s. He said that biopharmaceutical leadership is never guaranteed, emphasizing the role of tax credits for research and development and legislation protecting trademarks and patents in establishing the U.S. as a biomedical research leader.

The final session of the meeting was the NCI Director's Report by Dr. Letai (pictured, left).


The highly-anticipated presentation began with an overview of the NCI's current scientific initiatives and priorities, including functional precision medicine and public/private partnerships driving the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

He emphasized that the National Institutes of Health and NCI have widespread support throughout the federal government, and that extramural awards remain a priority. 

Accelerating clinical trials "is doable," said Dr. Letai, but "we cannot keep doing things the same way" and remain competitive on a global stage.

"We are the United States of America. We can do much better. We really must do much better." — Anthony Letai, MD, PhD

Many thanks to the over 400 attendees, speakers, supporters, and exhibitors who joined us in Chicago for the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, and to the Annual Meeting Program Committee, led by Dr. Candace S. Johnson, for designing an engaging, educational meeting agenda.

Save the Date

2027 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting

October 24-26, 2027
Washington, DC