Clinical and translational analyses in the neoadjuvant PREDIX trials in breast cancer
April 24, 2026 @ 09:00 – 10:00 CEST
Speaker
Theodoros Foukakis, Karolinska Institutet
Abstract
The PREDIX trials are academic, randomised phase 2 studies of neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer, coordinated by Karolinska. Patients with luminal breast cancer were randomised to either chemotherapy or endocrine therapy in combination with palbociclib. Patients with HER2-positive disease received preoperatively either a standard of care combination of chemotherapy and HER2-targeting antibodies or the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab-emtansine. Both trials had a translational focus with serial biopsies and blood samples collected at baseline and during treatment. A comprehensive multimodal profiling of the tumours has been carried out, and the molecular profiles of the tumours have been correlated to the clinical outcomes. The initial results from these studies will be presented.
Short biography
Theodoros Foukakis, MD, PhD, is Professor of Oncology at Karolinska Institutet and a senior attending physician and scientific head for breast cancer at the Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. He is head of the national guidelines group for breast cancer in Sweden, a member of the Swedish Breast Cancer Group (SweBCG), and a steering committee member of The Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG).
Dr Foukakis completed his medical studies at the University of Crete, Greece, in 2002 and moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he pursued a PhD in cancer genetics at Karolinska Institutet. Subsequently, he undertook clinical training in Oncology at Karolinska University Hospital between 2005 and 2009 and has since worked as a specialist, combining clinical work with research, with a focus on breast cancer.
He has led several investigator-initiated trials sponsored by Karolinska University Hospital and served as national principal investigator for many industry-sponsored trials from phase 1 to phase 3.
He leads a research group of 22 members and has secured independent funding through national or international competitions over the last 10 years. His group is particularly interested in drug and biomarker development in breast cancer with a focus on multi-omics analyses and machine learning.
About Clinical Talk:
After seven successful seasons and over seventy dedicated speakers, we are excited to continue showcasing the contributions of our diverse clinical, academic, and industry life science community. This season will feature ten insightful talks following our well-established format.
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