A Bold Immunotherapy Bet That Reshaped Cancer Care

Dr. Israel Lowy, who helped pioneer cancer immunotherapy starting with AIDS work, led early anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 trials and played a key role in the development of blockbuster therapies like Keytruda and Opdivo. Despite skepticism and recent trial setbacks, he emphasizes ongoing exploration of the tumor microenvironment and strategic biotech deals (e.g., Regeneron–CytomX, Parabilis) to combine immune and targeted therapies, reflecting a long‑term shift in biotech innovation and cancer care.