Alessandra Bearz

Academic history

Alessandra Bearz, MD, is the Medical Director of the Phase I Program at the CRO National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy, where her research focuses on thoracic cancers. Dr Bearz earned her degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Udine, Udine, Italy, where she specialized in Medical Oncology at the same institution. She has gained preclinical trial experience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethseda, MA and is currently part of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).

Speaking on clinical trials in lung cancer

Dr Alessandra Bearz has been involved in several clinical trials. She played a key role in the Phase III CROWN trial, which investigated an ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor, lorlatinib, in previously untreated patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, she has been involved in a retrospective analysis of ALK-positive lung cancer patients treated with crizotinib or second-generation ALK inhibitors at her institution. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and progression-free survival between the two treatment sequences. Dr Bearz has also hosted a multicenter, open-label, single-arm Phase I/II trial examining the interactions of loratinib with various enzymes in patients with ALK-positive or ROS1-positive advanced NSCLC.