At Northwest Medical Specialties (NWMS), our providers are driven by one shared goal: improving care and outcomes. Achieving that goal means constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cancer care. That’s why NWMS providers are deeply involved in clinical research, bringing innovative treatments from the laboratory to the community.
One of our physicians leading this effort is Dr. Jorge Chaves, who is especially focused on Phase I clinical trials for new cancer therapies. Phase I trials are a critical first step in cancer research. They primarily evaluate safety, helping researchers understand side effects, how severe they are, and what doses of a new treatment can be safely given to patients.
A New Approach for HER2-Positive Stomach and Esophageal Cancer
One of Dr. Chaves’ recent publications explored new treatment options for patients with HER2-positive stomach or esophageal cancer whose disease had stopped responding to standard therapies.
This study evaluated zanidatamab, an antibody-based drug designed to target the HER2 protein on cancer cells. Unlike earlier HER2-targeted treatments, zanidatamab binds to the HER2 protein in two different places, which may improve its ability to fight cancer.
While many patients experienced some side effects, these were considered manageable by clinicians. Importantly, the treatment showed encouraging signs of effectiveness. Nearly half of patients (49%) who received zanidatamab combined with chemotherapy experienced tumor shrinkage, compared to 32% of patients who received zanidatamab alone. These results are especially promising given that participants had already tried multiple prior treatments.
Targeting Cancer Metabolism to Strengthen Immunotherapy
Dr. Chaves also contributed to a second study focused on an entirely different strategy: cutting off a key nutrient cancer cells rely on to survive.
Many cancers depend heavily on glutamine, an amino acid that fuels tumor growth. Researchers believe that blocking glutamine use could weaken cancer cells and make immunotherapy more effective. This study tested a combination of telaglenastat, a drug that blocks glutamine metabolism, and nivolumab, an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer.
This Phase I/II trial evaluated both safety and early signs of effectiveness across several cancer types. Overall, the treatment was found to be well tolerated. While most cancer types did not show significant benefit, patients with kidney cancer who had not previously received immunotherapy experienced meaningful responses. Even when results are mixed, studies like this are essential, they guide future research and help scientists refine which patients may benefit most.
Moving Cancer Research Forward
Cancer cells are remarkably complex. They mutate, adapt, and evolve, often finding ways to resist even our most advanced treatments. Because of this, oncologists and researchers face the extraordinary challenge of staying one step ahead.
Through ongoing research and clinical trials, physicians like Dr. Chaves are helping to unlock new possibilities for patients today and paving the way for better treatments tomorrow. At NWMS, we are proud to be at the forefront of that mission.
Gouda MA, Voss MH, Tawbi H, Gordon M, Tykodi SS, Lam ET, Vaishampayan U, Tannir NM, Chaves J, Nikolinakos P, Fan A, Lee R, McDermott D, Shapiro GI, Gandhi L, Bhatia S, Katragadda V, Meric-Bernstam F. Telaglenastat (CB-839) in combination with nivolumab in metastatic melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase I/II study. ESMO Open. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40359708/
Meric-Bernstam F, Rha SY, Hamilton E, Kang YK, Hanna DL, Iqbal S, Lee KW, Lee J, Beeram M, Oh DY, Chaves J, Goodwin RA, Ajani JA, Yang L, Oza R, Elimova E. Zanidatamab monotherapy or combined with chemotherapy in HER2-expressing gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma: a phase 1 trial. Nature Communications. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59279-z