2026 Lustgarten Clinical Accelerator Initiative (CAI) Recipients Announced 

CAI grants awarded to Ashwin Somasundaram, MD, Harshabad Singh, MBBS, MD, Mark O’Hara, MD, and Anirban Maitra, MD 

UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 30, 2026 — The Lustgarten Foundation has announced four new Dr. Robert F. Vizza Lustgarten Clinical Accelerator Initiative (CAI) grants awarded to Ashwin Somasundaram, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, for his study “A randomized, phase II study of subjects with advanced basal-like pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with a KRAS G12D inhibitor and erlotinib versus gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel,” Harshabad Singh, MBBS, MD, Program Director, Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Oncology at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, for his study “A phase 2 trial of a novel Fc enhanced CTLA4 antibody, Vilastobart, in combination with PD-1 inhibitor, Retifanlimab, in BRCA/PALB2 mutated pancreatic cancers,” Mark O’Hara, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology-Oncology) at the University of Pennsylvania, for his study “Phase I randomized control trial of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with or without sotigalimab in a biomarker-selected population of previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer,” and Anirban Maitra, MD, Director of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, for his study “A First-in-Human Trial of Pancreatic Cancer Interception by Targeting Mutant KRAS.” Lustgarten’s CAI speeds the translation of basic research into the clinic by supporting novel, science-driven clinical trials.

“Pancreatic cancer has long been treated with a one-size-fits-all approach, despite growing evidence that biology matters,” said Dr. Somasundaram. “With support from the Lustgarten Foundation, this trial will allow us to test a more precise strategy for patients with an aggressive subtype of pancreatic cancer, with the goal of improving outcomes and changing how future trials are designed.” 

Somasundaram’s team will study a more targeted treatment approach for patients with an aggressive subtype of pancreatic cancer that often does not respond well to standard chemotherapy. Using a new test to identify this subtype, the trial will compare a targeted drug combination against standard treatment to see if it can better slow the disease. This work could help move pancreatic cancer care toward more personalized treatment based on each patient’s tumor biology. 

The Clinical Accelerator Initiative produces highly collaborative clinical trials with innovative, science-driven, efficient designs, using a Lustgarten-developed process based on real-time peer-review feedback. Trials funded through the CAI deeply focus on translational analysis to rapidly further our understanding of disease biology and treatment mechanisms. These “smarter” clinical trials generate large volumes of data that scientists use to help inform and improve current and future clinical trials and expedite new treatments.

“Patients with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 mutations represent a group with distinct tumor biology and a strong scientific rationale for immune-based treatment,” said Dr. Singh. “This study gives us the opportunity to test a novel immunotherapy combination while also learning, in real time, which immune and genomic features may help predict benefit.” 

Singh’s team will test a new immunotherapy combination for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose tumors carry BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 mutations. These mutations may make some tumors more likely to respond to immune-based treatment. The study will look at how well the treatment works and collect blood and tumor samples to better understand which patients may benefit most. 

Cancer immunotherapy is the use of the immune system to prevent or treat cancer. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, it is a type of treatment that boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. Through this therapy, the immune system is guided to attack and kill cancer cells. Immunotherapy has been very successful in treating other types of cancer, which is why pancreatic cancer experts believe it has promise.

“Not every patient benefits from the same treatment, and this trial is designed around that reality,” said Dr. O’Hara. “By using a blood-based immune biomarker to identify patients most likely to respond, we hope to move toward a more precise and efficient way of testing immunotherapy combinations in pancreatic cancer.” 

O’Hara’s team will study whether a simple blood test can help identify patients most likely to benefit from adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy. The trial focuses on patients with untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer who have a specific immune marker in their blood. By selecting patients in this way, the study could help make pancreatic cancer trials more precise and give patients a better chance of receiving treatments most likely to help them.

“The possibility of intercepting pancreatic cancer before it develops represents an entirely new frontier for this disease,” said Dr. Maitra. “With Lustgarten’s support, our team will evaluate whether targeting KRAS in patients with pancreatic precancerous lesions can safely alter the course of disease before cancer emerges.”

Maitra and Team iPACK will study a first-of-its-kind approach aimed at stopping pancreatic cancer before it develops. The trial focuses on patients with pancreatic cysts called IPMNs, which can sometimes become cancerous and often carry KRAS mutations. By testing whether an oral KRAS inhibitor can safely target these pre-cancerous lesions, the study could open a new path for pancreatic cancer prevention. 

The 2026 CAI recipients reflect the breadth of Lustgarten’s clinical research strategy, including targeted therapy, immune-based treatment, biomarker-driven patient selection, and cancer interception. Together, these projects are designed to advance more precise approaches to pancreatic cancer care and generate the scientific insights needed to shape future clinical trials. 

Learn more about the Lustgarten Foundation’s Dr. Robert F. Vizza Lustgarten Clinical Accelerator Initiative (CAI) HERE. 

Lustgarten now supports 15 active CAI grants, investing more than $26M in these “smarter” clinical trials. Learn more about funded trials in Research Matters, our annual publication that showcases our progress, and HERE.