Ezra E.W. Cohen
埃兹拉·科恩
MD
Professor of Medicine; Associate Director for Translational Science, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center医学教授，UCSD穆尔斯癌症中心转化科学副主任
👥Biography 个人简介
Ezra E.W. Cohen, MD is Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Translational Science at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. He is among the most influential clinical investigators in head and neck oncology globally, recognized particularly for his leadership in the KEYNOTE-048 trial—the landmark phase III study that established pembrolizumab as first-line standard of care in recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. Dr. Cohen has been a principal investigator or steering committee member for more than two dozen phase II and III trials in head and neck cancer, encompassing EGFR inhibitors, checkpoint immunotherapy, multikinase inhibitors, and ADC therapies. He has made seminal contributions to the understanding of cetuximab mechanisms, identifying Fc receptor pharmacogenomics and immune effector cell biology as determinants of response. Dr. Cohen has also championed rigorous biomarker-based patient selection in HNSCC trials, particularly leveraging PD-L1 Combined Positive Score (CPS) to define benefit populations. He previously chaired the Head and Neck Cancer Committee of the National Cancer Institute and serves on multiple international guideline panels.
🧪Research Fields 研究领域
🎓Key Contributions 主要贡献
KEYNOTE-048 — Pembrolizumab as First-Line Standard in R/M HNSCC
Led KEYNOTE-048, the phase III trial demonstrating that pembrolizumab monotherapy (CPS ≥1) and pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy improved overall survival versus EXTREME regimen in recurrent/metastatic HNSCC, establishing pembrolizumab as the new first-line global standard and earning FDA and EMA approval.
PD-L1 CPS as a Predictive Biomarker in HNSCC
Led rigorous analyses establishing that PD-L1 Combined Positive Score (CPS) stratifies benefit from pembrolizumab monotherapy in HNSCC, with CPS ≥20 and CPS ≥1 defining increasingly sensitive populations, now embedded in FDA labeling and international treatment guidelines.
Cetuximab Pharmacogenomics
Conducted foundational studies showing that FCGR2A and FCGR3A polymorphisms predict cetuximab benefit in HNSCC through differential NK cell ADCC activity, informing patient selection strategies and combination immune approaches.
NCI Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Trials Leadership
As chair of the NCI Head and Neck Cancer Committee, coordinated the cooperative group trial portfolio for HNSCC, prioritizing trials addressing HPV-associated disease de-escalation, immunotherapy combinations, and molecularly selected populations.
Representative Works 代表性著作
Pembrolizumab versus methotrexate, docetaxel, or cetuximab for recurrent or metastatic head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (KEYNOTE-040)
The Lancet (2019)
Phase III trial confirming pembrolizumab overall survival benefit versus investigator-choice standard therapy in platinum-refractory R/M HNSCC.
Pembrolizumab alone or with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (KEYNOTE-048)
The Lancet (2019)
Pivotal KEYNOTE-048 trial establishing pembrolizumab ± chemotherapy as first-line standard of care in R/M HNSCC based on PD-L1 CPS.
Randomized Phase II and Biomarker Analysis of Cetuximab with or without Sorafenib in Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)
Biomarker-rich phase II trial examining cetuximab-sorafenib combinations and identifying pharmacogenomic predictors of cetuximab efficacy.
Immunotherapy of head and neck cancer: Emerging clinical trials from a National Cancer Institute Head and Neck Cancer Steering Committee Planning Meeting
Cancer (2019)
NCI planning document outlining the cooperative group immunotherapy trial strategy for HNSCC reflecting Dr. Cohen's leadership priorities.
🏆Awards & Recognition 奖项与荣誉
📄Data Sources 数据来源
Last updated: 2026-04-06 | All information from publicly available academic sources
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