Dr. Hagop M. Kantarjian of Rockville’s Ascentage Pharma Receives Award for Lifelong Contributions to Leukemia Research

Rockville’s Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company located at 700 King Farm Blvd in Rockville engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, announced that its Clinical Advisory Board member Prof Hagop M. Kantarjian has received the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award for his lifelong contributions to leukemia clinical research and his dedication to improving the lives of patients.

Prof Kantarjian received the award at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 2-6, 2023, in Chicago, IL. The David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award is considered the highest honor that ASCO confers and has been presented annually since 1970 to recognize an oncologist who has made outstanding contributions to cancer research, diagnosis, and/or treatment.

Prof Kantarjian is The Chairman of the Department of Leukemia and Samsung Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. For the past four decades, Prof Kantarjian has led practice-changing national and international clinical trials at MD Anderson for the treatment of all leukemia subtypes. These trials resulted in multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and delivered new standards of care across leukemias, significantly improving quality of life and survival rates across several leukemia subsets. Over the last two decades, Prof Kantarjian has led national and international studies of innovative next-generation BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

“Throughout a remarkable career, Dr. Kantarjian has contributed immensely to our mission of ending cancer. He not only advanced new treatments and furthered our knowledge of leukemia, but his leadership has inspired so many in the MD Anderson community,” said Prof Peter WT Pisters, President of MD Anderson. “We congratulate Hagop on this exceptional achievement, and we thank him for the countless lives he has saved around the world.”

Prof Kantarjian’s ground-breaking work has culminated in the publication of more than 2,200 peer-reviewed papers and 100 book chapters. In 2012, Prof Kantarjian co-founded the world-renowned Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) to foster research, education, prevention, clinical trials, and the optimization of care for patients with hematologic malignancies and related disorders. Since its founding and under Prof Kantarjian’s leadership, SOHO has expanded to include nearly 7,000 members from 110 countries. A nonresident fellow in health care at the Rice Baker Institute (Houston, TX), Prof Kantarjian has written extensively on critical issues in contemporary cancer medicine, including universal equitable health care and the value of the Affordable Care Act, among other vital topics.

“Dr. Kantarjian has dedicated his life to saving and enhancing the lives of patients with leukemia, renewing hope to millions of patients with unmet medical needs,” said Dajun Yang, MD, PhD, Chairman of Ascentage Pharma “For decades, he has been at the forefront of the oncology community’s efforts to end cancer. We are privileged that Dr. Kantarjian has chosen to share his wise counsel with our organization while serving with honor and distinction on the Ascentage Pharma Clinical Advisory Board.”