Dr. Igor Puzanov is a distinguished leader in cancer therapeutics and clinical investigation at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center where he serves as Senior Vice President of Clinical Investigation and Director of the Center for Early Phase Clinical Trials. He holds The Judith and Stanford Lipsey Endowed Chair in Clinical Cancer Research while maintaining dual professorships in Oncology at Roswell Park and Medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo. His leadership extends across multiple critical divisions including Chief of the Melanoma Section and Chief of the Early Phase Clinical Trials Division, establishing him as a central figure in advancing novel cancer treatments. Dr. Puzanov's career trajectory demonstrates a consistent commitment to transforming laboratory discoveries into meaningful clinical applications for patients with cancer.
Dr. Puzanov has made seminal contributions to cancer immunotherapy and precision medicine beginning with his foundational work in the early 1990s on cytokine biology and natural killer cell development. His team provided pivotal pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data during the first-in-human trial of PLX4032/vemurafenib which directly contributed to the development of the first FDA-approved BRAF inhibitor for melanoma treatment. He played an instrumental role in the development of talimogene laherparepvec, the pioneering oncolytic virus therapy for melanoma, representing a major breakthrough in cancer virotherapy. His research portfolio spans from early pre-clinical phase through phase I/II/III clinical trials with particular emphasis on innovative combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways with targeted therapeutic agents.
As a translational researcher, Dr. Puzanov has significantly influenced the design and implementation of histology-agnostic trials for targeted therapies, expanding treatment options for patients with rare or difficult-to-treat cancers. He provides expert guidance on regulatory requirements for advancing novel drugs, devices, and imaging agents into clinical trials, shaping the development pathway for emerging cancer therapeutics. His current research focuses on exploring synergistic combinations of oncolytic viruses with immunotherapies to enhance treatment efficacy for advanced malignancies through scientifically rigorous clinical investigation. Dr. Puzanov continues to drive innovation in cancer treatment by developing novel therapeutic approaches that bridge laboratory discoveries with tangible clinical benefits for patients worldwide.
