PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSIONS
MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025 | 8:00-9:35 AM
8:00 am Organizer’s Welcome Remarks
Nikki Cerniuk, Conference Producer, Cambridge Healthtech Institute
8:05 Plenary Keynote Introduction (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)
8:15 Off-the-Shelf Allogeneic CAR T Therapy in the Treatment of Severe Autoimmune Diseases
Biao Zheng, PhD, CEO, BRL Medicine
Current treatments for severe autoimmune diseases have considerable toxicity and are not effective in all patients. Conceptually, a deep depletion of B cells could trigger an immune reset in autoimmune diseases. Autologous CD19-targeted CAR-T therapies have been explored in several autoimmune diseases and reported promising efficacy. In this study, a healthy donor-derived, multiplex genome-edited allogeneic CD19-targeted CAR-T product was developed for refractory autoimmune diseases with excellent safety and efficacy profiles.
9:00 PANEL DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2025 | 3:45-4:30 PM
3:45 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Preventing Attrition in Immunology
- Navigating regulatory pathways
- Addressing toxicity during discovery
- Securing funding and optimizing budgets
- Improving translation from preclinical models
Biao Zheng, PhD, CEO, BRL Medicine
Dr. Biao Zheng graduated with a medical degree from Zhejiang University School of Medicine. He received his PhD in Immunology from King’s College, University of London. Dr. Zheng served at the faculty of University of Maryland School of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center. He was a tenured professor in the Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Zheng worked for GlaxoSmithKline R&D Center as the head of Immunological Discovery Sciences. He was a global vice president of the Immunology Therapeutic Area, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center, Asia Pacific, responsible for the innovative immunological drug pipeline in the region. Dr. Zheng is now the Chief Executive Officer at BRL Medicine.
Dr. Zheng is an experienced physician scientist, drug hunter, and professor with a demonstrated history working both in academia and pharmaceutical industry. He has more than thirty years of experience in biomedical research and drug discovery. He has published extensively in world top journals including Cell, Nature, and Science. His major areas of research and development include autoimmune diseases, immuno-oncology, and novel vaccine development.
Plenary Keynote Panelists to be Announced