Brian Druker

Brian Druker led the clinical development of imatinib (Gleevec) for chronic myeloid leukemia in the landmark IRIS trial, achieving unprecedented complete cytogenetic remission rates and transforming CML from a largely fatal disease to one managed with oral daily therapy. His work established the paradigm of molecularly targeted therapy for cancer driven by a specific oncogenic mutation and inspired the development of hundreds of targeted agents across oncology. He has continued to lead cancer precision medicine research at OHSU and contributes to global leukemia treatment guideline development. Druker's contributions represent one of the most celebrated successes in the history of cancer medicine.