Brian Pico, M.D., is medical director of solid tumor cellular therapy and a hematologist-oncologist at Memorial Cancer Institute (MCI), where he is helping bring emerging cellular therapies to patients with solid tumors.
Once primarily developed for blood cancers, cellular therapies are beginning to overcome barriers presented by solid tumors. Dr. Pico is building the clinical infrastructure to safely incorporate these approaches, from patient selection and multidisciplinary coordination to managing therapy-specific toxicities.
“What excites me most is the convergence of cellular therapy, bispecific antibodies and precision oncology,” Dr. Pico said.
According to Dr. Pico, MCl is among Florida’s leading sites in the use of tarlatamab, a bispecific T-cell engager for small-cell lung cancer, and is preparing to open a clinical trial of a similar approach for advanced prostate cancer.
Dr. Pico sees treatment increasingly guided by each tumor’s biological and molecular characteristics, creating more personalized options for patients whose cancers have progressed despite established therapies.
