Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 4th Annual
Neoantigen Targeted Therapies
Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy in the Genomic Era
August 8-9, 2019
Fueled with advances in genomic technologies, personalized oncology promises to innovate cancer therapy and target previously undruggable space. Developments in NGS technology enabled systematic analysis of patient-specific mutanome and opens the door
to developing personalized cancer vaccines and other therapies targeting neoantigens. Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Fourth Annual Neoantigen Targeted Therapies conference brings together thought leaders from pharmaceutical
and biotech companies, leading academic teams and clinical immuno-oncologists to share research and case studies in implementing patient-centric approaches to using the immune system to beat cancer, including utilizing NGS to identify tumor-specific
neoantigens, using in silico tools to predict immunogenic neoepitopes, and targeting them with personalized vaccines, novel antibodies or combination therapies.
Final Agenda
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 8
7:45 am Registration Open and Morning Coffee
8:30 PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSION
PANEL DISCUSSION: Partnering and Licensing in Immuno-Oncology
Big pharma and biotech are under pressure to compete in the booming Immuno-Oncology market and to capitalize on new technologies and innovations to bring next-generation immunotherapies to the patients. This insider panel will share what they look for
in a partner or investment, and discuss opportunities for collaboration or in-licensing of novel immunotherapies, IO targets or biomarkers, and potential combination therapies.
Jeroen H. Blokhuis, PhD
Director, Business Development, Partnerships, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Michael Woo, MBA
Head, Search & Evaluation, Immuno-Oncology, Business Development & Licensing, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc.
Kathryn McCabe, PhD
Senior Director, Business Development, Emerging Technology and Innovation, Eli Lilly and Company
Scott M. DeWire, PhD
Global Head, Business Development and Licensing, Cancer Immunology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Philip Arlen, MD
President & CEO, Precision Biologics
Stephen Doberstein, PhD
Senior Vice President, R&D and Chief Research and Development Officer, Nektar Therapeutics
9:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall. Last chance for poster viewing.
10:10 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Stephen Doberstein, PhD, Senior Vice President, R&D and Chief Research and Development Officer, Nektar Therapeutics
10:15 Preliminary First-in-Human Data with a Novel MAB, NEO 201, Targeting a Novel Neoantigen in Solid Tumors
Philip Arlen, MD, President & CEO, Precision Biologics
NEO-201 was developed from a cancer vaccine derived from an immunogenic component of a cell membrane preparation derived from pooled surgical tumor specimens. NEO-201 demonstrated the ability to bind to wide variety of human epithelial carcinomas but
did not react with the normal epithelial tissue. In addition, it has demonstrated tumor destruction through antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). A companion diagnostic IHC based assay has been developed to identify patients expressing
the target. An ongoing phase I study in patients with refractory solid tumors commenced in early 2019.
10:45 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Driving T Cell Responses to Neoantigens - The Importance of Priming and Accurate Target Selection
Andrew Allen, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Gritstone Oncology
Tumor neoantigens (NeoAg) are a key class of tumor-specific T cell antigens which can drive a therapeutic immune response. To harness them therapeutically, we must first accurately identify true NeoAg from a typically large pool of DNA mutations,
the large majority of which are not processed and presented on the tumor cell surface. Then we must prime and boost a potent and polyfunctional naïve T cell response against these antigens.
11:15 Synthetic DNA-Based Neoantigen Targeted Delivery to Address a Wide-Range of Neoantigenic Payloads
Niranjan Y. Sardesai, PhD, Co-Founder, CEO & President, Geneos Therapeutics
Tumor neoantigen targeting has emerged as a viable approach for treating cancer and considerable attention has focused on improved prediction, prioritization, and/or down-selection, and validation of the neoantigenic targets. Beyond prediction and
selection algorithms, neoantigen delivery platforms and platform capacity, manufacturability, and potency are important considerations to drive immune responses in vivo. This presentation will discuss
the plasmid DNA platform for development of neoantigen targeted personalized cancer immunotherapy.
11:45 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
12:15 pm Luncheon Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
12:45 Session Break
1:40 Chairperson’s Remarks
Pamela Carroll, PhD, Senior Vice President, Immuno-Oncology, Genocea Biosciences
1:45 How to Identify a Good Tumor Rejection Mediating Neoepitope
Pramod Srivastava, MD, PhD, Director, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center & Professor of Immunology and Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
It is relatively straightforward to identify the somatic mutations in individual cancers. However, an overwhelming majority of these mutations do not lead to generation of neoepitopes that can be recognized by the immune system in a manner that an
effective anti-tumor immune response can be generated. I shall present new results on the rules for identification of true anti-cancer neoepitopes.
2:15 A Universal Early Cancer Screen Using a Blood-Based 400K Frameshift Peptide Array
Yisrael Katz, MD, CMO, Calviri; Center for Innovations in Medicine, Arizona Biodesign Institute
Our group has invented a 400K peptide array representing all potential immunogenic frameshift antigens produced by cancer cells. The assay is serologic, requiring <1mL of blood, no tissue or sequencing, and simultaneously interprets a diagnostic
signature for multiple early-stage cancers with high accuracy. Cost is substantially lower than DNA-based technologies and results are obtained in a few hours. In multiple stage I and pre-stage I (blood collected 0-6 months prior to a cancer diagnosis)
breast cancer and melanoma cohorts, accuracy of the test ranged from 85%-99%, representing an unparalleled improvement over existing screening modalities. This technology represents a major leap in the world of immuno-oncology and early cancer
diagnostics, as it enables a single study to simultaneously and rapidly detect pre-clinical disease in multiple cancer types with high accuracy and low cost. Furthermore, the reactive frameshift peptide signatures can be directly translated into
targets for therapeutic cancer vaccines, define MSI status, and predict response or adverse event risk to immunotherapy.
2:45 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
3:15 Refreshment Break
3:45 Identifying and Characterizing Neoantigens for Optimized Immunotherapies
Pamela Carroll, PhD, Senior Vice President, Immuno-Oncology, Genocea Biosciences
Genocea’s ATLASTM platform is a powerful tool that screens all candidate neoantigens for pre-existing patient-specific CD4+ or CD8+ stimulatory and inhibitory responses in an HLA agnostic assessment. Excluding inhibitory peptides that may suppress
tumor immunity, accelerate tumor progression and mediate patient response to immune checkpoint blockade therapies could enable best-in-class immunotherapies. Genocea is applying ATLAS in its two lead programs: GEN-009, a neoantigen vaccine currently
being evaluated in Phase 1/2a clinical trials, and GEN-011, a personalized non-engineered T cell therapy program that targets multiple neoantigens.
4:15 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Functional Identification and Therapeutic Targeting of Cancer Neoantigens
Stephen P. Schoenberger, PhD, Co-Director, San Diego Center for Precision Immunotherapy; Professor, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
This presentation will describe a novel approach developed to identify the subset of expressed cancer mutations that can be recognized by a patient’s own immune system and which can form the basis for personalized immunotherapy by either
vaccination or adoptive cellular therapy.
4:45 ASPH, A Focal Point for Broad Impact in Immuno-Oncology
Ildiko Csiki, MD, PhD, CMO, Sensei Biotherapeutics
Sensei Bio is pioneering therapeutic targeting of a novel and untapped tumor-specific antigen (TSA) called ASPH, a TSA with high prevalence in 20+ cancer types, both solid tumors and hematological malignancies; significant role in driving cancer
cell proliferation and evading cancer detection by the immune system; over-expressed at 70% + prevalence in cancer; developing cell therapies and cancer vaccines along with companion diagnostic for patient selection. Sensei Bio also has a
proprietary differentiated technology called SPIRIT platform which identifies immunodominant epitopes, activating T-and B-cells. By engineering antigen expression in an immunogenically optimized presentation, therapeutic candidates activate
3 arms of the immune system and induce cellular immunity associated with tumor growth inhibition.
5:15 Close of Day
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 9
8:30 am Breakout Discussion Groups with Continental Breakfast
9:30 Chairperson’s Remarks
Nathaniel Wang, PhD, Head of R&D, Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
9:35 Immunogenic Intensification – An Emerging Strategy to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy
Marijo Bilusic, MD, PhD, Associate Research Physician, Program Director, NIH Hematology Oncology Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the combination of cancer vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors has synergistic effects. Cancer vaccines activate T cells, direct them to the tumor and increase PD-L1 expression within the tumor microenvironment.
Vaccines should enhance immune response and, with concurrent blockade of inhibitory pathways, could also achieve optimal antitumor effects. Combinations of cancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors are currently being studied in clinical
trials. Early results suggest that it is possible to combine immune agents with manageable side effects, while inducing anti-tumor activity in some patients. Combinations of cancer vaccine and immune checkpoint inhibitor may prove of significant
added therapeutic benefit by immunogenic intensification.
10:05 Adenovirus Vectored Vaccines Targeting Multiple Neoantigens Synergize with Immune Checkpoint Inhibition to Eradicate Large Tumors
Elisa Scarselli, CSO, Nouscom AG
Nouscom developed Gorilla Adenovirus vectored vaccines (GAds) with the capacity to encode multiple neoantigens. Experiments in murine cancer models demonstrated that GAd vaccination is very effective in early therapeutic settings, while it is
not able to control tumor growth in the presence of high tumor burden. In this setting, the combination of GAd vaccine and anti-PD-1 broadens the repertoire of intra-tumor T cells and cures more animals than anti-PD-1 monotherapy.
10:35 Synthetic Self-Replicating RNA Platforms for Shared Neoantigen and Multidimensional Combination Therapeutics
Nathaniel Wang, PhD, Head of R&D, Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
RNA as a vaccine and therapeutic modality has become a focus of significant interest. Synthetically Modified Alpha Replicon RNA Technologies (SMARRT) are capable of targeting neoantigens as a vaccine platform as well as co-expression of immunomodulatory
molecules such as cytokines and antibodies for therapeutics. As a vaccine platform, SMARRT generates a high magnitude, polyfunctional Class I and Class II T cell response. Using this platform to target different classes of shared neoantigens
in combination with immune modulators represents the next wave of multidimensional combination therapies.
11:05 Key Learnings from Bringing a Fully Personalized Cancer Neoantigen Vaccine into the Clinic
Agnete Fredriksen, PhD, CSO, Vaccibody
Vaccibody has a unique platform technology able to potentiate DNA vaccines by attracting, activating and delivering antigens to antigen presenting cells. Positive clinical results have been proven with a therapeutic HPV vaccine in a phase I/IIa.
The platform allows rapid and cost-effective manufacturing perfect to develop commercially viable patient-specific vaccines on demand. A Phase I testing Vaccibody neoantigen vaccine in advanced cancer patients receiving anti-PD/PD-L1 therapy
was initiated in 2018.
11:35 am Close of Conference
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