Conference Day Two - Thursday | October 3, 2024
8:00 am Check-In & Coffee
8:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Discussing the Current Investment & Partnership Landscape to Equip Drug Developers with Insights to Secure Funding
9:00 am Examining the Investor Perspective to Secure Partnerships & Advance Therapeutic Potential
Synopsis
- Unveiling the criteria investors seek in small biotechs working on macrophages to set actionable goals
- Driving collaboration opportunities by learning what large pharmaceutical companies desire in partnerships
- Understanding the scope for investment and partnerships in this space to strategically plan your next steps
Unveiling the Potential of Macrophages-Directed Therapies in Therapeutic Areas Beyond Oncology
9:30 am How to Enhance Translatability of Myeloid-Targeted Therapies in Preclinical Models
Synopsis
- Outlining BRGSF-HIS mice: Immunodeficient mice displaying functional human lymphoid and myeloid compartments, without GvHD and side effects
- Examining myeloid cells functionality and assessing immune modulation induced by biologics in BRGSF-HIS model
- Showcase of assessment of immune targeting agents in immune checkpoint humanized model
10:00 am Supercharging the Therapeutics Potential of Macrophages in Inflammatory Diseases to Spotlight Positive Progression
Synopsis
- Showcasing the use of macrophage-directed therapies in inflammatory organ disease to bring a focus to this therapeutic area
- Comparing macrophage-directed therapies to other forms of treatment for inflammatory organ diseases to underscore the therapeutic advantages of harnessing macrophages
- Sharing clinical data to highlight progression in addressing this disease indication
10:30 am Morning Break & Networking
11:00 am Navigating the Potential of Macrophage-Directed Therapeutics in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Synopsis
- Sharing a novel target for treating inflammatory lung disease
- Understanding how macrophages can interact with neuropilin-2 (NRP2) to reduce inflammation
- Harnessing the therapeutic potential of macrophages to prevent the progression of pulmonary sarcoidosis
11:30 am Driving the Potential of Macrophage-Directed Therapies in Treating Central Nervous System (CNS) Diseases
Synopsis
- Outlining how macrophage/microglia-directed therapies may be an effective approach to treating diseases affecting the CNS
- Considering CNS-specific challenges and how this may impact the therapeutic potential of macrophage and microglia-directed therapies
12:00 pm Roundtable Discussion: Exploring the Use of Macrophage-Therapies to Treat Autoimmune Diseases & How Plasticity & Reprogramming Could Be Advantageous in this Indication
Synopsis
- Describing how the plasticity of macrophages in an anti-inflammatory phenotype could have therapeutic potential in autoimmune diseases
- Comparing macrophage-directed therapies with alternative cell therapies for autoimmune diseases
- Exploring the unique challenges in developing macrophage-directed therapies for autoimmune disease to break down barriers in this therapeutic area
Exploring Novel Approaches that Promise to Pioneer the Next Generation of CAR-M Therapies
12:30 pm Engineering Myeloid Cells for Cancer – Ex Vivo & In Vivo Approaches
Synopsis
- Exploring CAR-M for solid tumor immunotherapy
- Reviewing the clinical program overview of Anti-HER2 CAR-M ex vivo cell therapy
- Utilizing direct in vivo CAR reprogramming using mRNA
1:00 pm Lunch Break & Networking
2:00 pm Next-Generation Engineering for Enhanced Myeloid Cell Therapies
Synopsis
- Enhancing function in monocytes and macrophages with novel CAR architectures
- Utilizing HSCs as a cell source for ex vivo monocyte cell therapies
Advancing Biomarker Development to Aid Patient Selection & Enhance Translatability
2:30 pm Identifying the Most Useful Biomarkers for Enhanced Patient Selection & Translatability
Synopsis
- Building an effective biomarker pipeline
- Considering the significance of diversity in biomarker selection
- Outlining the effective communication of using biomarkers in patient selection to regulatory bodies
3:00 pm Fireside Chat: Exploring the Advantages & Rationale of Biomarker-Driven Patient Targeting to Improve Clinical Outcomes
Synopsis
- Discussing the benefits of selecting patients using biomarkers to ensure accurate therapy alignment
- Assessing the range of biomarkers and their different uses in distinguishing suitable patients
3:30 pm Afternoon Break & Networking
Evaluating & Selecting the Most Effect Modes of Delivery & Administration for Your Pipeline to Ensure Targeted Treatment
4:00 pm Unveiling the Potential of Intertumoral Administration and Comparing its Advantages with Other Techniques
Synopsis
- Describing how intertumoral administration of macrophage-directed therapies works
- Outlining the advantages of intertumoral administration to underscore its potential
- Comparing intertumoral administration with intravenous administration
4:30 pm Immune Stimulatory Macrophage-Directed Nanoparticles for Cancer Immunotherapy
Synopsis
- Using key macrophage phenotype features to polarize them using small molecule drug combinations
- Exploring a range of immuno-stimulatory nanoparticles with an affinity for macrophages