PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSIONS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024 | 11:20 am – 1:20 pm
11:20 am Organizer’s Remarks
Nikki Cerniuk, Conference Producer, Cambridge Innovation Institute
11:30 am Accelerating Cell and Gene Therapy: Current Challenges and Future Directions
Daniel J. Powell Jr., PhD, Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
New designs for genetically modified T cells include switches and potency enhancements that will be required for targeting solid tumors. Determining the critical quality attributes, dose, potency, and anticipating pharmacokinetics of a living, dividing drug presents unique challenges. Improving patient access depends not only on scientific progress in targeting, gene modification and cellular manipulation, but also on meeting automation, engineering, clinical site onboarding, and health policy challenges.
12:00 Transition to Lunch
12:15 pm LUNCHEON PRESENTATION: HCAb Harbour Mice Advances Multispecific, CAR T, and ADC Therapy in a New Level
Joe Zhao, PhD, Vice President, Head of External Innovation, Nona Biosciences
HCAb Harbour Mice of Nona Biosciences is the first fully human Heavy Chain only Antibody (HCAb) transgenic mice platform in history. It is optimized, clinically validated with global patent protection. Fully human heavy chain only Antibodies have high affinity and have excellent biophysical characteristics. They are the ideal antibody format to generate a multitude of next-generation therapeutic modalities, including bispecific/multispecific antibodies, ADCs, CAR-based, and mRNA therapeutics.
12:45 pm The Outlook for Innovation in IO: A VC Perspective
Jakob Dupont, MD, Executive Partner, R&D, Sofinnova Investments
Immuno-oncology treatments from checkpoint inhibitors to cytokine therapies to bispecific antibodies and cell therapies have made a profound impact on patients' lives. There have been significant IO products successes but also notable failures in the development of these drug candidates. This talk will present a perspective on how IO agents are assessed by VCs and what VCs are looking for to create value for patients and investors in IO.