Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but an alumnus of the UP Manila College of Medicine (UPCM) is significantly contributing to the development and regulatory review of cancer treatments.
Dr. Romeo Angelo de Claro, from the UPCM class of 1998, was appointed director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) in May 2026. De Claro brings more than 15 years of FDA experience to the position. He joined the agency in 2010 as a medical officer in the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products, Division of Hematology Products. He was promoted to medical officer team leader in 2012 and became division director in the Office of Oncologic Diseases in 2019. In March 2025, he served as deputy office director for the Office of Oncologic Diseases before he was named deputy center director for the OCE, and later as its director.
His work has also extended to international cancer regulation. Since 2019, de Claro has led the OCE’s global clinical sciences program, including coordination of Project Orbis. This initiative facilitates the submission and review of oncology marketing applications among participating regulatory agencies. Through Project Orbis, regulatory authorities collaborate on the review of cancer therapies to support more efficient access to important treatments in participating countries.
De Claro has provided leadership in oncology regulatory discussions involving Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. He was also instrumental in launching the Real-Time Oncology Review program, reflecting his involvement in efforts to modernize the FDA’s approach to cancer product review.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer caused nearly 10 million deaths worldwide in 2024, or nearly one in six deaths. Many cancers have a high chance of cure when diagnosed early and treated appropriately. Effective treatment can cure cancer, considerably prolong life, and help maintain quality of life. Cancer encompasses numerous diseases with different biological characteristics and treatment approaches, requiring specialized expertise in evaluating the safety and effectiveness of emerging therapies.
The FDA OCE was established in 2017 to bring together scientific experts from across the FDA’s product centers and facilitate the development and clinical review of oncology products. It works across drugs, biologics, and medical devices, creating a coordinated approach to evaluating new cancer products. The center’s work is particularly significant in oncology, where advances in cancer science have led to increasingly complex treatments, technologies, and clinical trials. The center also develops regulatory policies and programs intended to support the development of safe and effective cancer products.
De Claro’s appointment also represents a notable achievement for a physician whose medical education began at the University of the Philippines. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of the Philippines, graduating magna cum laude in both programs. He completed his internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, followed by a hematology-oncology fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. He subsequently joined the hematology-oncology faculty at the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles.
For UP Manila, de Claro’s appointment reflects the reach of the University’s health sciences education into international medicine, research, and health regulation.
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SOURCE: R. Angelo de Claro, | FDA, Who We Are – Oncology Center of Excellence | FDA
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