COVID19 Update: All VCS sites will be conducting temperature checks for all patients and visitors at entrances. For your safety, you will be asked to use a mask, if you do not have one, a mask will be provided. If a person presents with a temperature, you will be asked to return home and further instructions will be given by your health care team. For our patients protection, no visitors under 18 will be allowed in the offices, there is a limit one (1) visitor per patient if necessary. No visitors are allowed in the chemo infusion room. Telemedicine visits are now available for routine office visits. VCS is keeping updated on current state and local guidance for the Covid vaccine rollout plan. FOR THE LATEST UP TO DATE INFORMATION, ALERTS, VACCINE INFORMATION AND CANCELLATIONS PLEASE CLICK HERE
Alex Spira, MD, PhD, FACP
VCS Physicians
Getting a diagnosis of cancer is the most challenging thing any patient and family will have to go through. My job is to provide the most comprehensive options for patients, with state-of-the-art care and compassion.
Dr. Alex Spira earned his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. He then went on to complete his internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and his medical oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his training, Dr. Spira was granted many awards and honors, and he completed several specialized fellowship programs. Among these honors were the National Institutes of Health Medical Scientist Training Program Fellowship (1990-1997), Merck Corporation Scholarship (1995-1995), Pediatric AIDS Foundation Fellowship (1993- 1995) and Harvard University Scholarship (1987-1990). Dr. Spira has also received his PhD from the New York School of Arts and Sciences.
As Director of the Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) Research Institute and the Phase I Trial Program, Dr. Spira is actively involved in advancing medicine and offering targeted treatment options for patients. Although his research interests are numerous, Dr. Spira particularly enjoys studying immunotherapy, personalized medicine, GI, thoracic and lung cancer and sarcomas. Dr. Spira is also Co-Chair of the USOncology Thoracic Oncology Committee, Chair of the USOncology Research Executive Committee, and member of the USOncology National Policy Board Executive Committee. Dr. Spira is a faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and serves as Assistant Professor of Oncology.
Throughout his career, Dr. Spira has been recognized as a Top Doctor in Northern Virginia Magazine and Washingtonian magazine for multiple years. In 2014, he received the prestigious “Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctor” award. In his spare time, Dr. Spira enjoys spending time with his family, coaching children’s sports, cycling, and cheering on his favorite New York sports teams.
Physician Publications
February 23, 2021
Exploring Why Testing in Lung Cancer is Important to Treatment Decisions - Alex Spira, MD, PhD, FACP
Brigatinib Versus Crizotinib in Advanced ALK Inhibitor–Naive ALK-Positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Second Interim Analysis of the Phase III ALTA-1L Trial
Camidanlumab Tesirine, an Antibody-Drug Conjugate, in Relapsed/Refractory CD25-positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Phase I Study
Virginia Cancer Specialists Investigators Neelima Denduluri, MD & Alex Spira, MD, PhD, FACP Present Data Highlighting Key Advances in Oncology Research - 2020 ASCO Annual Meeting & Expo
Alex Spira, MD PhD FACP VCS Co-Author Virginia Cancer Specialists - JAMA Network - Effect of Doxorubicin Plus Olaratumab vs Doxorubicin Plus Placebo on Survival in Patients With Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas Clinical Trial
Effect of Doxorubicin Plus Olaratumab vs Doxorubicin Plus Placebo on Survival in Patients With Advanced Soft Tissue SarcomasThe ANNOUNCE Randomized Clinical Trial
Multicenter Phase I Study of Erdafitinib (JNJ-42756493), Oral Pan-Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced or Refractory Solid Tumors.
Dr. Alex Spira quoted in announcement from Mirati Theraputics: Progress Of Lead Programs And Updated Positive Clinical Trial Results For Immuno-Oncology Combination Trials
Virginia Cancer Specialists first patient successfully completes Cycle 1 of Treatment with PCM-075 combination with Low Dose Cytarabine (LDAC) AML Trial
Atezolizumab versus docetaxel for patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer (POPLAR): a multicentre, open-label, phase 2 randomised controlled trial
Efficacy and Safety of Trabectedin or Dacarbazine for Metastatic Liposarcoma or Leiomyosarcoma After Failure of Conventional Chemotherapy: Results of a Phase III Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial
Randomized Phase II Trial of Erlotinib With and Without Entinostat in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Who Progressed on Prior Chemotherapy
Phase II trial of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, carboplatin, and bevacizumab in first-line patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.
An open label phase Ib dose finding study of BI 836880 in combination with BI 754091 to characterize safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and in other solid tumors
A Phase 2 Randomized Open-Label Study of Patritumab Deruxtecan (U3-1402) in Subjects With Previously Treated Metastatic or Locally Advanced EGFR-mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Phase 3 Randomized Study of DS-1062A Versus Docetaxel in Previously Treated Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Without Actionable Genomic Alterations
Phase 2, Single-arm, Open-label Study of DS-1062a in Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With Actionable Genomic Alterations and Progressed on or After Kinase Inhibitor Therapy and Platinum Based Chemotherapy
A Phase 1b/2 Multicenter, Open-label, Dose-escalation and Dose-expansion Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, Immunogenicity, and Antitumor Activity of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) Monotherapy and Combinations in Adult Participants with HER2-Overexpressing Gastric Cancer
An open label phase Ib dose finding study of BI 836880 in combination with BI 754091 to characterize safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and in other solid tumors
A Phase 2 Randomized Open-Label Study of Patritumab Deruxtecan (U3-1402) in Subjects With Previously Treated Metastatic or Locally Advanced EGFR-mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Phase 3 Randomized Study of DS-1062A Versus Docetaxel in Previously Treated Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Without Actionable Genomic Alterations
Phase 2, Single-arm, Open-label Study of DS-1062a in Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With Actionable Genomic Alterations and Progressed on or After Kinase Inhibitor Therapy and Platinum Based Chemotherapy
A Phase 1b/2 Multicenter, Open-label, Dose-escalation and Dose-expansion Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, Immunogenicity, and Antitumor Activity of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) Monotherapy and Combinations in Adult Participants with HER2-Overexpressing Gastric Cancer
A Phase 2 Basket Study of Tucatinib in Combination with Trastuzumab in Subjects with Previously Treated, Locally-Advanced Unresectable or Metastatic Solid Tumors Driven by HER2 Alterations
A Phase 2 Study of VS-6766 (Dual RAF/MEK Inhibitor) as a Single Agent and in Combination with Defactinib (FAK Inhibitor) in Recurrent KRAS-Mutant (KRAS-MT) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
A Phase 1 Open-Label, Safety, Pharmacokinetic and Preliminary Efficacy Study of STRO-002, an anti-Folate Receptor alpha (FolRá) Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC), in Patients with Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (including Fallopian Tube or Primary Peritoneal Cancers) and Endometrial Cancers
CX-839-014 “KEAPSAKE”: A Phase 2, Randomized, Multicenter, Double-blind, Study of the Glutaminase Inhibitor Telaglenastat with Pembrolizumab and Chemotherapy versus Placebo with Pembrolizumab and Chemotherapy in First-line Metastatic KEAP1/NRF2-mutated Nonsquamous, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
A Randomized, Open-label Phase 3 Study of Combination Amivantamab and Carboplatin-Pemetrexed Therapy, Compared with Carboplatin-Pemetrexed, in Patients with EGFR Exon 20ins Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (61186372NSC3001)
A Phase 1/2a, Open-Label, Multi-Center Trial to Assess Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Efficacy of CLN-081 in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutations
A Multicenter, Open-Label, Parallel, Phase 2a Study of PLX2853 Monotherapy in Advanced Gynecological Malignancies with a Known ARID1A Mutation and Phase 1b/2a Study of PLX2853/Carboplatin Combination Therapy in Platinum-Resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
An Open-label Phase 1/1b Study to Evaluate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of JNJ-73841937 (Lazertinib), a Third Generation EGFR-TKI, as Monotherapy or in Combinations With JNJ-61186372, a Human Bispecific EGFR and cMet Antibody in Participants With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A Phase III, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multi-center International Study of Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Durvalumab for the Treatment of Patients with Resectable Stages II and III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (AEGEAN) (D9106C00001)
Phase III, Open-label, Randomized Study of Osimertinib with or without Platinum Plus Pemetrexed Chemotherapy, as First-line Treatment in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Mutation-Positive, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (FLAURA2) (D5169C00001)
A Phase 1/2 Study of ALKS 4230 Administered Intravenously as Monotherapy and in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Subjects with Advanced Solid Tumors- ARTISTRY-1
Open label, multicenter, multidose, first-in-human Phase 1/2 study of RTX-240 for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory or locally advanced solid tumors.
A PHASE III, OPEN-LABEL, RANDOMIZED STUDY OF ATEZOLIZUMAB AND TIRAGOLUMAB COMPARED WITH DURVALUMAB IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED, UNRESECTABLE STAGE III NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER WHO HAVE NOT PROGRESSED AFTER CONCURRENT PLATINUM-BASED CHEMORADIATION (SKYSCRAPER-03)
A Non-interventional Biomarker Study on the Molecular Evaluation of Archival Tumor Tissue in Subjects with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) (20190294)
A Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled study of Atezolizumab plus Carboplatin and Etoposide with or without Tiragolumab (Anti-Tigit Antibody) in patients with untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (GO41767)
A Phase 2 Open-label, Multicenter, Randomized, Multidrug Platform Study of Neoadjuvant Durvalumab Alone or in Combination with Novel Agents in Subjects with Resectable, Early-stage (I [> 2 cm] to IIIA) Non-small Cell Lung Cancer(NeoCOAST)
A Phase 1b Efficacy and Safety Study of Cofetuzumab Pelidotin (ABBV-647, a PTK7-Targeting Antibody Drug Conjugate) in Subjects with PTK7-Expressing, Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A PHASE III, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLINDED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY OF TIRAGOLUMAB, AN ANTI-TIGIT ANTIBODY,IN COMBINATION WITH ATEZOLIZUMAB COMPARED WITH PLACEBO IN COMBINATION WITH ATEZOLIZUMAB IN PATIENTS WITH PREVIOUSLY UNTREATED LOCALLY ADVANCED UNRESECTABLE OR METASTATIC PD-L1-SELECTED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (GO41717)
20190009: A Phase 3 Multicenter, Randomized, Open Label, Active-controlled, Study of AMG 510 Versus Docetaxel for the Treatment of Previously Treated Locally Advanced and Unresectable or Metastatic NSCLC Subjects with Mutated KRAS p.G12C
A Phase I-II, First-in-Human Study of SKB264 in Patients with Locally Advanced Unresectable /Metastatic Solid Tumors who are refractory to Available Standard Therapies
A PHASE 1/1B MULTICENTER STUDY TO EVALUATE THE HUMANIZED ANTI-CD73 ANTIBODY, CPI-006, AS A SINGLE AGENT OR IN COMBINATION WITH CIFORADENANT, WITH PEMBROLIZUMAB, AND WITH CIFORADENANT PLUS PEMBROLIZUMAB IN ADULT SUBJECTS WITH ADVANCED CANCERS (CPI-006-001)
A Phase 1/2, Open-Label, Multi-Center, First-in-Human Study of the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Anti-Tumor Activity of TPX-0005 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors Harboring ALK, ROS1, or NTRK1-3 Rearrangements (TRIDENT-1)
A Phase 1, Open-Label, Dose Escalation and Expansion Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Preliminary Anti-tumor Activity of PSB205 in Patients with Relapsed/ Refractory Solid Tumors
A Phase 1b/2a Dose-escalation Study to Assess Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Preliminary Efficacy of PLX2853 in Subjects with Advanced Malignancies
A Phase 1b/2, Open-Label, Multicenter Dose-Escalation and Dose-Expansion Study of the Combination of RMC-4630 and Cobimetinib in Adult Participants with Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors with Specific Genomic Aberrations
A Phase I-II, First-in-Human Study of A166 in Patients with Locally Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors which are Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive who did not Respond or Stopped Responding to Approved Therapies and Patients with HER2 Positive (by ISH or NGS) or Low Expressing (by IHC) Solid Tumors who did not Respond or Stopped Responding to Approved Therapies
A Phase 1/2 Study of GRT-C903/GRT-R904, a Vaccine Targeting Shared Neoantigens, in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
Phase 2, Open-Label Safety and Efficacy Study of Telisotuzumab Vedotin (ABBV-399) in Subjects with Previously Treated c-Met+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A PHASE I DOSE ESCALATION AND EXPANDED COHORT STUDY OF PF-06821497 IN THE TREATMENT OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH RELAPSED/REFRACTORY SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (SCLC), CASTRATION RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER (CRPC) AND FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA (FL)
Brigatinib-3001- A Phase 3 Randomized Open-label Study of Brigatinib (ALUNBRIG™) Versus Alectinib (ALECENSA®) in Advanced Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Who Have Progressed on Crizotinib (XALKORI®)
A Phase 1/2 Study of Oral LOXO-292 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors, Including RET Fusion-Positive Solid Tumors, Medullary Thyroid Cancer, and Other Tumors with RET Activation (LIBRETTO-001
A Phase 1/2, First-in-Human, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation Study of MGC018 (Anti–B7-H3 Antibody Drug Conjugate) Alone and in Combination with MGA012 (Anti–PD-1 Antibody) in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
A Phase 1 Multicenter, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation and Dose-Expansion Study to Evaluate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Antitumor Activity of AO-176
An International Phase 1/2 Study of GRT-C901/GRT-R902, a Neoantigen Cancer Vaccine, in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
A Phase I-II, First-in-Human Study of A166 in Patients with Locally Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors which are Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive who did not Respond or Stopped Responding to Approved Therapies and Patients with HER2 Positive (by ISH or NGS) or Low Expressing (by IHC) Solid Tumors who did not Respond or Stopped Responding to Approved Therapies
An open-label, first-in-human, dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and maximum tolerated dose and / or recommended Phase II dose of the ATR inhibitor BAY 1895344 in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas
A Phase 1, First-in-Human, Open-Label, Dose Escalation Study of JNJ-61186372, a Human Bispecific EGFR and cMet Antibody, in Subjects with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Phase 2 Open-Label Single-Arm Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Loncastuximab Tesirine in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
A phase III, multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of canakinumab versus placebo as adjuvant therapy in adult subjects with stages AJCC/UICC v. 8 II-IIIA and IIIB (T>5cm N2) completely resected (R0) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)(CACZ885T2301)
A Phase 1-2, First-in-Human Study of CX-2029 in Adults with Metastatic or Locally Advanced Unresectable Solid Tumors or Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphomas (PROCLAIM-CX-2029)
A Phase III, Double-Blinded, Multi-center, Randomized Study Evaluating The Efficacy and Safety of Neo-adjuvant Treatment with Atezolizumab or Placebo in Combination with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Resectable Stage II, IIIA, or Select IIIB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A Multicenter, Phase 1, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation Study of the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of ABBV-368 as a Single Agent and Combination in Subjects with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors
An Open-Label, Multicenter, Global Phase 2 Basket Study of Entrectinib for the Treatment of patients with locally advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors that Harbor NTRK1/2/3, ROS1, or ALK Gene Rearrangements.