What Drives AbbVie’s Solid Tumor Strategy Following ASCO 2025 Insights

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, Pedro Valencia, VP, asset strategy leadership, oncology, AbbVie, discussed the company’s expanding efforts in solid tumors, a space where it is still relatively new compared to its established presence in hematologic cancers. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Valencia outlined AbbVie’s strategy for prioritizing tumor types and investigational therapies within its pipeline, emphasizing a data-driven, patient-centric approach. From recent antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approvals to promising early signals in rare neuroendocrine tumors, AbbVie is rapidly evolving its oncology footprint with the goal of transforming treatment paradigms and reducing reliance on traditional chemotherapy.

Pharmaceutical Executive: Given the breadth of data presented at ASCO 2025, how does AbbVie prioritize which tumor types and investigational therapies to advance within its solid tumor pipeline?

Pedro Valencia: AbbVie has a long history in hematologic malignancies—we’ve made significant progress over the past decade in areas like CLL and NHL. But when it comes to solid tumors, we're still relatively new compared to companies that have been in this space for decades.

We were pleased with our initial entry into solid tumors last year through the acquisition of ImmunoGen, which brought us Elahere in ovarian cancer. More recently, we received approval for our second antibody-drug conjugate, a first-in-class MET-targeted ADC for lung cancer, representing another key milestone.

When we think about how to prioritize within our solid tumor pipeline, we focus on three core criteria. First, we look at tumor types where there remains a significant unmet need—where patients are still not receiving optimal care and long-term survival remains low. Second, we consider where the standard of care hasn’t changed in decades and often still relies on traditional chemotherapy. Third, we evaluate where AbbVie’s innovative pipeline can deliver a meaningful impact. Since we can’t address every tumor type, these guiding principles help us focus where we can truly make a difference.

Full Interview Summary: At the 2025 ASCO meeting, AbbVie highlighted its growing commitment to solid tumors by outlining how it prioritizes development within its oncology pipeline. While historically focused on hematologic malignancies, the company is now building momentum in solid tumors with an emphasis on unmet need, scientific opportunity, and potential for pipeline impact. AbbVie’s three current priority areas in solid tumors are gastrointestinal (especially colorectal), gynecologic (notably ovarian), and lung cancers. Recent approvals, including mirvetuximab for ovarian cancer and Teliso-V (telisotuzumab vedotin) for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mark significant progress.

Temab-A (and Teliso-V) targets c-Met, a protein overexpressed in multiple cancers, including lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and head and neck cancers. Its broad expression makes c-Met a strong target for tumor-agnostic development, akin to HER2 or PD-1 therapies. AbbVie is exploring this approach with Temab-A in a trial spanning at least seven tumor types, including lung and colorectal cancers being the most advanced.

Another investigational therapy, ABBV-706, targets SEZ6, a lineage marker in neuroendocrine tumors, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Data presented at ASCO showed encouraging response rates of 30–50% in rare neuroendocrine tumors—substantially higher than typical chemotherapy response rates. AbbVie plans to expand 706 into late-stage studies for SCLC and explore other neuroendocrine populations.

Patient advocacy is central to AbbVie’s strategy, helping inform development priorities beyond survival endpoints. For example, patient feedback highlighted Elahere’s ability to avoid alopecia as a significant benefit.

Key near-term milestones include pivotal trial launches and data readouts across lung (EGFR-mutant and wild-type NSCLC, SCLC), GI (colorectal and pancreatic), and gynecologic cancers. AbbVie also plans to expand next-generation ADCs, aiming to broaden activity across varying levels of FRα expression and further reduce chemotherapy reliance.