Breakout Discussions

Breakout Discussions are informal, moderated, small-group discussions, allowing participants to exchange ideas and experiences and develop future collaborations around a focused topic. Each discussion will be led by a facilitator who keeps the discussion on track and the group engaged. To get the most out of this format, please come prepared to share examples from your work, be a part of a collective, problem-solving session, and participate in active idea sharing.

Wednesday, October 12, 10:10-10:55 am

TABLE 1: Advances in CAR T Therapy

Host: Adrian Bot, MD, PhD, CSO, Executive Vice President, R&D, Capstan Therapeutics

• Future direction of CAR T Therapy
• In vivo approaches
• Reducing COG
• Improving safety

TABLE 2: Affinity Designs of the Two Arms of Bispecific Antibodies

Host: Hui Zou, PhD, CSO, Phanes Therapeutics, Inc.

• Optimal affinity designs for dual TAA targeting bispecifics, balancing between efficacy and safety
• Leveraging the affinity difference of the two arms to enrich bispecific antibodies to the tumors
• Increasing the affinity of the CD3 arm in a bispecific to overcome low TAA density or poor T cell activation
• Reducing the affinity of the CD3 arm in a bispecific to mitigate CRS

TABLE 3: Challenges and Future Directions for Current CD3 Engagers

Host: Alexandre Simonin, PhD, Director, mAb Discovery, Numab Therapeutics AG

• Challenges: Cytokine release syndrome, activation-induced T cell death, poor efficacy in solid tumors
• Future directions: Low affinity CD3 engagers, activatable CD3 engagers, combinations with CPI​

TABLE 4: Choosing the Right Preclinical Model

Host: Tullia C. Bruno, PhD, Assistant Professor, Immunology, University of Pittsburgh & Hillman Cancer Center

TABLE 5: Emerging Cellular Therapies and Institutional Readiness

Host: Doaa Ayoubi, PhD, Director, Investigational Drug Services, New York University

• Emerging cellular therapies and institutions readiness
• Challenges with focus on oncology
• Pharmacy education
• Site prep for cellular therapy and clinical trials

Friday, October 14, 8:00-8:55 am

TABLE 6: Gamma Deltas and Emerging Cell-Based Therapies

Host: Lawrence Lamb, Jr., PhD, Executive Vice President & CSO, IN8Bio

• Advances in Gamma Deltas - antibody and cell-based approaches
• New approaches to cellular immunotherapy
• Overcoming the TME
• Combination approaches

TABLE 7: Challenges in Immune Evasion through Antigen Presentation Defects

Host: Xiaole Shirley Liu, PhD, CEO, GV20 Therapeutics

• What tumor types have prevalent mechanisms of antigen presentation defects?
• How to increase antigen presentation through MHC class I?
• How to increase antigen presentation through MHC class II?
• How to develop clinical biomarkers for tumors with antigen presentation defects?
• Why don't NK cells kill cancer cells with MHC Class I defects?

TABLE 8: Translating Novel IO Therapies into the Clinic

Host: Edward (Ned) Patz, PhD, CEO, Grid Therapeutics; Professor, Radiology, Duke University

• Target validation
• Preclinical models
• Dissecting mechanism
• Designing appropriate clinical trials, relevant endpoints
• Managing expectations; fish or cut bait