Markus Moehler
马库斯·莫勒
MD, PhD
Professor and Head of GI Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz美因茨大学医学中心内科一科消化道肿瘤学主任及教授
👥Biography 个人简介
Markus Moehler, MD, PhD is Professor and Head of GI Oncology at the University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University. He is one of Europe's foremost clinical trialists in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer, best known internationally for his pivotal role as a principal investigator in the CheckMate 649 trial—the landmark phase III study that established nivolumab combined with chemotherapy as a standard first-line treatment for advanced HER2-negative gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma. CheckMate 649 represented the first successful immunotherapy trial to achieve a broad overall survival benefit in this setting based on PD-L1 combined positive score. Dr. Moehler has been involved in more than 40 clinical trials in GI oncology, including studies of VEGFR2 inhibition, multimodal perioperative strategies, and novel immunotherapy combinations. He has been an active contributor to ESMO gastric cancer clinical practice guidelines and to the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) scientific program committees. His research has also explored viral and immune-stimulatory approaches to GI cancer treatment, including oncolytic virotherapy in combination with checkpoint inhibition.
🧪Research Fields 研究领域
🎓Key Contributions 主要贡献
CheckMate 649 — Nivolumab as First-Line Standard in HER2-Negative Gastric/GEJ Cancer
Served as a principal investigator in CheckMate 649, demonstrating that nivolumab plus chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone in PD-L1 CPS ≥5 advanced gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma, resulting in global regulatory approval and a paradigm shift in first-line treatment.
PD-L1 CPS as a Stratification Tool in Gastric Cancer Immunotherapy
Contributed to the clinical validation of PD-L1 Combined Positive Score (CPS) as a continuous biomarker in gastric cancer, characterizing CPS ≥5 and CPS ≥1 thresholds and their differential predictive value, now adopted in international guidelines for first-line therapy selection.
VEGFR2 and Angiogenic Targeting in Gastric Cancer
Participated in European development and evaluation of ramucirumab (anti-VEGFR2) in gastric cancer, contributing clinical data and biomarker analyses that supported its approval in second-line gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma as both monotherapy and in combination with paclitaxel.
Oncolytic Virotherapy Combined with Immunotherapy in GI Cancer
Conducted pioneering early-phase studies using parvovirus H-1 and other oncolytic agents combined with checkpoint inhibitors in GI malignancies, establishing proof-of-concept for immune priming strategies and identifying immune correlates of response in the tumor microenvironment.
Representative Works 代表性著作
Nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer (CheckMate 649): A randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial
The Lancet (2021)
Pivotal CheckMate 649 trial establishing nivolumab plus chemotherapy as a first-line standard in advanced HER2-negative gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma based on PD-L1 CPS.
Ramucirumab plus paclitaxel versus placebo plus paclitaxel in patients with previously treated advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (RAINBOW)
The Lancet Oncology (2014)
Phase III RAINBOW trial demonstrating that ramucirumab plus paclitaxel significantly improved survival over paclitaxel alone in second-line gastric/GEJ cancer, contributing to regulatory approval.
Immunotherapy approaches in gastroesophageal cancers: current strategies and future directions
Annals of Oncology (2020)
Comprehensive review of immunotherapy clinical trial landscape and biomarker strategies in gastric, GEJ, and esophageal cancers with future therapeutic directions.
Phase I/II trial of H-1 parvovirus with pembrolizumab in advanced solid tumors
Nature Communications (2022)
First-in-human combination of oncolytic H-1 parvovirus with PD-1 checkpoint blockade, demonstrating immune activation and preliminary clinical signals in GI and other solid tumors.
🏆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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