Anthony W. Tolcher

Anthony W. Tolcher, MD, FRCPC is Chief Medical Officer and Founding Partner of NEXT Oncology, a specialized multi-site phase I oncology organization he co-founded that conducts first-in-human and early-phase trials at the intersection of academic rigor and industry collaboration. Before founding NEXT Oncology, Dr. Tolcher served for over a decade at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, where he was one of the program's leading phase I investigators. Dr. Tolcher has been principal investigator on more than 300 phase I trials over his career, with a particular focus on antibody-based therapies: monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and bispecific antibody formats across both solid and hematologic malignancies. He has been involved in the early clinical development of key ADC platforms including brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35), numerous camptothecin-payload ADCs, and multiple novel linker chemistries optimizing therapeutic index. Dr. Tolcher has also contributed to the early clinical pharmacology of DNA damage response inhibitors, leading phase I trials of PARP inhibitors, ATM inhibitors, and WEE1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy and radiation. He is known for his rigorous approach to pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic correlatives in early-phase trials, and has trained numerous phase I oncologists through formal mentorship and collaboration. Dr. Tolcher is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and an active contributor to AACR and ASCO drug development working groups.