Interactive Breakout Discussions
Breakout Discussions are informal, moderated 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.
All Breakouts will be offered IN-PERSON ONLY.
Bi & Multispecific Engineering
Bi and Multispecific T Cell Engagers in an Era of Increased Awareness of Tumor and Patient Heterogeneity
Moderator: Siddhartha Roychoudhury, PhD, Asset Leader, Immuno-Oncology Development, Astellas Pharma
- How do we go about selecting the right tumors for the right MOA?
- How can we explore novel approaches to MOA-driven patient enrichment?
- How can we develop options for rational combinations?
Breakthroughs in Cell Therapy
New Opportunities to Promote Tumor Antigen Presentation through Myeloid Cell Therapies
Moderator: Warren Anderson, PhD, Scientist III, Immunology, Inceptor Bio
- Recent technological advances have made concepts like tumor vaccines or transgenic TCRs more promising than ever. Can myeloid cell therapies perform similarly with reduced labor and cost?
- What have we learned thus far about the practical limitations of generating myeloid-based cell therapies? What has succeeded?
- Considering the successes of CAR Ts or T-cell directed therapies, how should we approach the idea of myeloid based cell therapies? Competitor or teammate?
Bridging Science and Support: Integrative Strategies in Cell Therapy
Moderator: David James, Resident Physician, Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research, Naturopathic Specialists LLC
- Exploring how integrative and naturopathic oncology can support patients undergoing advanced immune therapies such as CAR T-cell, bispecific antibodies, NK cell vaccines, and dendritic cell therapy
- Clinical applications for monitoring immune therapy response and toxicity using biomarkers and interleukin profiling (e.g., IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, VEGF, MMP9, TNF-α) from a patient-centered lens
- Practical strategies for managing treatment-related adverse events (cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, fatigue) through evidence-informed supportive care
- Shared decision-making models to align complex therapies with patient values and quality-of-life goals
- Real-world insights into harmonizing conventional protocols with integrative care to improve outcomes and experience
Translating Multispecific Success
What Are We after with Bispecific Targeting of Solid Tumors?
Moderator: Tatiana Novobrantseva, PhD, CSO, NextPoint Therapeutics
- What unmet need is driving bispecific targeting? Efficacy? Width of applicability? Safety? What strategies are needed?
- Is there a special place for biparatopic targeting?
- Is companion diagnostic a must-have for developing bispecific targeting? Does it need to be quantitative?
- Bispecific versus combination: major pros and cons
Autoimmunity
Learnings from I-O for I&I
Moderator: Marc A. Gavin, PhD, Senior Research Fellow & Head, Immunology, InduPro
- Depleting pathogenic immune cells: Will TCEs be as potent as CAR T, within tolerated dose windows?
- KIR+ CD8 Tregs: Do they respond to current therapies, and does it matter?
- Agonizing cytokine receptors: Do feedback mechanisms make it too complicated?
Precision Targeting of Autoimmune B Cells with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells
Moderator: Marco Ruella, MD, Assistant Professor, Scientific Director, Hematology and Oncology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania
- How to interpret small pilot trials of CAR T or bispecifics in SLE and autoimmunity
- Role of lymphodepletion regimens
- Long-term efficacy and potential toxicities?
Antibody-Drug Conjugates
Selecting ADC Design Features for a Specific Target and Indication
Moderator: Ian Nessler, PhD, Senior Scientist II, Quantitative, Translational, and ADME Sciences, AbbVie
- Target Characterization: Expression and Internalization Profile
- Design Considerations for Heme vs. Solid Tumor Indications
- Payload Selection (Bystander vs. Non-Bystander Payloads)
- Future Directions and Novel ADC Formats
Innate Immunity
Translating in vitro Immuno-Oncology Models to in vivo Impact
Moderator: Craig Thalhauser, PhD, Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology & Quantitative Sciences, Genmab US Inc
- What limits current in vitro models from accurately reflecting the complex tumor microenvironment and in vivo bispecific antibody activity?
- Designing in vitro assays that better predict targeted efficacy and potential for off-target effects within the TME
- Innovative in vitro approaches or technologies that hold promise for predicting the in vivo behavior and therapeutic potential of bispecific antibodies in immuno-oncology?
Practical Applications for Spatial Biology in Immuno-Oncology
Moderator: Hao Lo, PhD, Research Scientist, Translational Medicine, Amgen
- Spatial biology has recently exploded—during what stages of IO drug discovery are you using spatial biology and what questions are you answering?
- Spatial biology is a new frontier and is constantly evolving—how do you balance ever-pursuing the latest technologies, versus committing to and developing specific technologies?
- Integration of spatial biology into IO drug discovery can require huge investments of computational, wet-lab, and financial resources—what are the biggest hurdles you’re encountering, and how are you navigating these challenges?