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institutionsInstitution
Vall d'Hebron University Hospital / VHIO
Vall d'Hebron is Spain's leading cancer research hospital and a global leader in phase 1 and breast cancer ADC trials.
Also called: Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital CampusVall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus
Overview
Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and its research arm VHIO in Barcelona are Spain's leading cancer research centre and rank twenty-eighth in the Newsweek/Statista oncology list. Under Tabernero and Javier Cortés it has led DESTINY-Breast03 and DESTINY-Breast09, the TROPION-Breast programme, and the BEACON and BREAKWATER colorectal trials that established encorafenib in BRAF V600E-mutated disease, and it runs one of Europe's largest phase 1 units, with Elena Garralda, Cristina Saura, Enriqueta Felip and Elena Élez also listed. OnCo links it to the MYC and TGF-beta pathways, to the SOLTI and CNIO networks, and to ideas on drugging MYC directly and on hospital-exemption cell therapies. Keeping academic independence while leading so many company trials is the standing question. Its breast ADC and colorectal programmes are the ones to read.
Location
Barcelona, ES
Type
cancer center
Website
Newsweek 2026 oncology rank
#28
OnCo score
#40 · 64 points (32 Newsweek + 0 NCI + 32 from 16 linked objects) · ranking
Research output
From OpenAlex, oncology works in the last five years (2022 to 2026, current year in progress); counted on 2026-09-24.
Matched to Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, including child institutions. 967 works · 23,548 citations · 71% open access · 23% clinical trials · 1% reviews.
Oncology works per year
2182022
2822023
2092024
1822025
762026
Most works
- Josep Tabernero95 works
- Enriqueta Felip94 works
- Ana Oaknin67 works
- Teresa Mercade Macarulla61 works
- Gloria Iacoboni60 works
- Elena Élez57 works
- Elena Garralda55 works
- Cristina Saura50 works
- Guillermo Javierre Villacampa45 works
- Ana P. Vivancos45 works
Most cited
- Breast ADC trials (Cortés)
- Colorectal (Tabernero)
- Phase 1
Albert Salazar Soler
Representative of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital / VHIO to the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes
Cancer centre representation (OECI)
Albert Salazar Soler represents Vall d'Hebron University Hospital / VHIO in the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes, which lists the centre among its members in Spain.
Ana Oaknin
Head of the Gynaecological Cancer Programme, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona
Endometrial cancerCervical cancerImmunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates
Barcelona oncologist who led GARNET, the trial that brought dostarlimab to mismatch repair-deficient endometrial cancer, and who has led many trials of new drugs for gynaecological cancers.
Cristina Saura
Head of the Breast Cancer Unit, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and VHIO
HER2-positive breast cancerAntibody-drug conjugatesTyrosine kinase inhibitors
Spanish breast oncologist leading DESTINY-Breast09, which moved trastuzumab deruxtecan into first-line HER2-positive disease.
Elena Élez
Head, Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Tumours Group, VHIO
Colorectal cancerBRAF and KRAS-mutant diseasePrecision oncology
Elena Élez is a colorectal cancer investigator who led the BREAKWATER trial's clinical programme.
Elena Garralda
Director, Early Drug Development Unit (UITM), VHIO
Phase 1 trialsImmuno-oncologyNovel modalities
Elena Garralda leads one of Europe's largest phase 1 units.
Enriqueta Felip
Head of Thoracic Cancers Unit, Vall d'Hebron; Professor, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Lung cancerTargeted therapyPerioperative immunotherapy
Thoracic oncologist who led IMpower010, establishing adjuvant atezolizumab in lung cancer.
Javier Cortés
Head, International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Barcelona; formerly Vall d'Hebron
Breast cancerHER2-positive diseaseAntibody-drug conjugates
Breast oncologist who led DESTINY-Breast03 and DESTINY-Breast09, the trials that made Enhertu the HER2-positive standard.
Joaquín Arribas
Director, Hospital del Mar Research Institute; ICREA Professor; formerly VHIO
HER2 biologyResistance to anti-HER2 therapyT-cell bispecifics
Cancer biologist who characterised truncated HER2 (p95HER2) and develops p95HER2-targeted T-cell engagers.
Josep Tabernero
Director, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO); Head of Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital
Colorectal cancerGastrointestinal oncologyEarly drug development
Colorectal cancer trialist who led BEACON and BREAKWATER, bringing targeted therapy to BRAF-mutant disease; former ESMO President.
Similar pages
- InstitutionCatalan Institute of Oncology (ICO)
Shares Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.
- PersonAdrià Comella Carnicé
Shares Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.
- PersonAnton Benet Català
Shares Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.
- TrialBREAKWATER
Shares Elena Élez, Josep Tabernero, Encorafenib.
- TrialBEACON CRC
Shares Elena Élez, Josep Tabernero, Encorafenib.
- PersonAleix Prat
Shares SOLTI Cancer Research Group, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona / IDIBAPS.
- InstitutionSpanish Association Against Cancer (AECC)
Shares Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.
- CancerBRAF V600E-mutant colorectal cancer
Shares Elena Élez, Josep Tabernero, BREAKWATER: encorafenib plus cetuximab with chemotherapy as first treatment for BRAF V600E-mutated colorectal cancer, Encorafenib.
drugs
ApprovedSmall-molecule kinase inhibitor (BRAF)
Encorafenib · Braftovi