ESMO 2025: Top 5 Key takeaways from our experts
ESMO 2025 underscored the increasing pace of innovation within precision oncology, promising scientific discovery that will be implemented in real-world to benefit the patients worldwide. From ctDNA to next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and the emergence of AI-enabled insights, the data presented revealed how much progress has been made, but also how critical execution remains.
The oncology landscape is advancing rapidly, and staying ahead means understanding not only the science, but how to turn it into strategies that align diagnostics, data, and commercialization. Read our top five takeaways from ESMO 2025, and explore how these insights are shaping the future of precision medicine.
1. ctDNA-based Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)
While MRD testing is already established in some hematologic malignancies, ESMO 2025 showcased its growing relevance in solid tumors, with new evidence validating its potential to detect relapse earlier and refine treatment decisions. Across multiple tumor types (including colorectal, lung, and breast), data reinforced ctDNA’s role as a critical tool for guiding therapy choices and monitoring.
For pharma, this growing clinical confidence highlights an urgent need to build the partnerships required for consistent MRD integration into clinical pathways. A recurring theme across trials was the challenge of test sensitivity - a key limitation that must be addressed to enable clinical adoption of ctDNA-based MRD.
Closing that gap will require collaboration between pharma, labs, and diagnostic partners. At Diaceutics, we leverage our real-time lab data to uncover where testing readiness exists - and where barriers persist. Through targeted expert engagement and peer-to-peer physician education, we help translate diagnostic insights into action, ensuring testing drives confident prescribing and faster adoption of precision therapies.
2. Ovarian cancer with high unmet need shows promising treatment
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) were a defining theme again this year, with promising new data in ovarian cancer driving optimism for improved outcomes in prognostic populations. FRα-directed ADCs continued to demonstrate strong efficacy signals, positioning this class as a leading area of innovation.
Competitive differentiation will depend not just on efficacy, but on precision where relevant, ensuring eligible patients are identified early. Diaceutics’ data-driven insights help pharma identify where testing gaps exist and accelerate biomarker adoption pre-launch, ensuring new ADC innovations can reach the right patients faster.
3. Lung Cancer: Evolving complexity in a crowded biomarker space
Metastatic NSCLC continues to illustrate the complexity of precision oncology, where a high number of actionable targets already exist. Anti-HER2 therapies are now likely moving into first-line treatment, with HER2 testing expected to be smoothly implemented - though education of labs and oncologists remains essential to ensure consistent adoption.
Pharma teams must look beyond drug development to ensure that testing patterns in the real world reflect the molecular sophistication of modern trials. Fragmented data and inconsistent testing remain key barriers to full adoption.
Our precision testing data reveal where real-world gaps persist - empowering pharma to align educational efforts and optimize launch based on testing behavior, not just trial design.
4. Bladder Cancer: Potential changes in standard of care in early and metastatic settings
New results in urothelial carcinoma continue to build on the success of combination regimens such as HER2-directed plus immunotherapy, driving enthusiasm for improved patient outcomes. ESMO 2025 signaled potential shifts in the standard of care for both early and metastatic disease - highlighting how combination strategies are becoming increasingly central to the future of bladder cancer treatment.
Combination approaches will redefine treatment pathways, but only if testing strategies evolve alongside them. Pharma must collaborate closely with diagnostic partners to ensure biomarker alignment keeps pace with clinical practice.
By mapping real-world biomarker utilization, Diaceutics helps pharma understand how testing behavior influences therapy uptake - a critical component for successful commercialization in the era of combination oncology.
5. Breast Cancer: Beyond HER2 – A future defined by biomarker diversity
In breast cancer, ESMO 2025 highlighted continued progress in HER2-positive and HER2-low subtypes, alongside early signals for novel molecular targets. Beyond HER2, ADC innovation and exploration of new biomarker-driven strategies are signaling an increasingly diverse and data-led future for breast cancer treatment.
Pharma organizations must anticipate more nuanced testing algorithms and ensure alignment between diagnostic development and clinical execution. Commercial success will depend on education, accessibility, and early stakeholder engagement.
Through our global lab network and data-driven solutions, Diaceutics enables companies to anticipate testing evolution - empowering more effective launches in increasingly stratified therapeutic markets.
ESMO 2025 reaffirmed that the future of oncology treatment lies in precision - but precision demands readiness. For pharma and biotech, success will hinge on translating complex science into actionable strategies that improve testing, access, and ultimately, patient outcomes.
Stay tuned for our upcoming Expert Insight video, where Diaceutics’ precision medicine experts will explore these topics in depth. Missed the conference or want to gain a deeper understanding of how the commercialization landscape is evolving? This exclusive discussion will offer expert perspectives shaped by the latest oncology developments from ESMO 2025, helping you stay one step ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
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