Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of Clinical and Translational Research at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief of hematology/oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, has been named a Precision Medicine World Conference 2026 Pioneer Award Honoree in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to precision medicine that have fundamentally changed how cancer is understood and treated.
The honor recognizes Slamon for his pioneering research in breast cancer, most notably his role in the development of Herceptin, a targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998, Herceptin improved survival and extended life expectancy for millions of women worldwide. Since its introduction, the therapy has been administered to an estimated 3.5 million patients and helped establish the modern approach to targeted cancer treatment, paving the way for many subsequent precision oncology drugs.
In addition to Herceptin, Slamon’s research has led to the development of cell cycle inhibitors, including the CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib (Ibrance) and ribociclib (Kisqali), which have significantly improved outcomes for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, the most common subtype of the disease.
The award will be presented March 5 during the Precision Medicine World Conference at the Santa Clara Convention Center. As part of the honor, Slamon will deliver a keynote lecture during the Liquid Biopsy Track to discuss how next-generation liquid biopsies can enable earlier detection of treatment response or recurrence, allowing for timelier and more effective patient management.