Main Conference Day 3 - PT (Pacific Time, GMT-08:00)
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
- Udaya Rangaswamy, Ph.D. - Senior Scientist, Rondo therapeutics
- Eric Smith - Executive Director - Bispecifics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
This presentation will highlight the potential of multispecific antibodies for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases. It will highlight how novel multispecific antibody designs enable targeted modulation of disease biology, overcome limitations of conventional antibody therapies, and create new opportunities for improved efficacy and safety. Selected preclinical and translational examples will illustrate the promise of these next-generation therapeutics across diverse disease indications.
- John Mascola - Chief Scientific Officer, ModeX Therapeutics
Treatment of solid tumors with T cell engagers remains a significant challenge due to tumor heterogeneity, low t cell infiltration and the presence of a suppressive tumor microenvironment. We have engineered a trispecific T cell engager platform leveraging CD28 co-stimulation with an excellent developability profile to provide optimal t cell activation and the potential for a more durable response. Our conditional CD28 co-stimulation platform can be combined with multiple geometries and tumor associated antigens to increase efficacy of T cell engagers in both solid and liquid tumors.
- Genevieve Desjardins - Associate Director in Protein Engineering, Zymeworks Inc
Numab’s proprietary MATCH™ and Fc engineering technologies enable routine generation of differentiated multispecific antibodies with up to six specificities while maintaining IgG-like stability and manufacturability. The platform supports diverse molecular architectures, from compact, tissue-penetrating molecules to long-acting therapeutics optimized for subcutaneous or intravenous administration. We will present key design principles for multispecific antibody engineering addressing unmet needs in inflammatory diseases and oncology.
- Stefan Warmuth, PhD - SVP, Head Technology and CMC, Numab Therapeutics AG
- John Desjarlais, PhD - Chief Scientific Officer, Xencor, Inc.
- Greg Lazar, Ph.D. - Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Dualitas Therapeutics
The protective L9 antibody preferentially recognizes the ‘NVDP’ minor repeat motif in Plasmodium falciparumcircumsporozoite protein (CSP), with lower affinity to the ‘NANP’ major repeat motif. However, strain variation in NVDP minor repeat number and spacing may limit breadth across strains. Using directed evolution and yeast display, we discovered a panel of affinity-improved L9 variants. Among these, L9_yd19 conferred improved protection against diverse chimeric CSP variants while preserving potency against the more common strain 3D7’s CSP architecture. Cryo-EM revealed distinct dual homotypic antibody interfaces, with the new interface outlining a structural mechanism to form higher-order Fab assemblies and broaden protection across diverse PfCSP repeat architectures.
- Jihwan Chun - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard University
This talk will present an integrated nanobody engineering platform spanning serum proteomics, AF3-TurboAb–enabled antibody-antigen modeling, and multivalent biologic design. I will highlight how scalable structural prediction and interface analysis guide programmable nanobody therapeutics for infectious disease, toxin neutralization, and cancer precision medicine.
- Yi Shi, Ph.D. - Professor, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Engineering a native-like 1+1 bispecific antibody requires correct heavy-light chain pairing of two distinct Fab domains. To minimize the production of mispaired Fabs, we developed orthogonal heavy-light chain pairs via interface engineering. These Fab domains, termed XenLock™ Fabs, enabled the generation of multiple native-like 1+1 bispecific antibodies, including XmAb412, a novel effector-less bispecific antibody incorporating Xtend half-life extension technology that simultaneously blocks signaling stimulated by IL23 and TL1A.
- Gregory Moore, Ph.D. - Director, Protein Engineering, Xencor
Antibody engineering provides powerful strategies to address unmet medical needs, exemplified by the development of next generation T cell engagers (TCEs). We describe engineering and biological principles underlying CD8 guided TCEs designed to enhance therapeutic index and reduce the risk of cytokine driven toxicities. By preferentially engaging cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells while limiting CD4⁺ T cell activation, this approach aims to minimize excessive cytokine production without compromising antitumor activity. Our AZD9793, GPC3 targeted, CD8 guided TCE induces potent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell killing with markedly reduced CD4⁺ T cell activation. This CD8 bias significantly limits the production of CRS related cytokines compared with a conventional GPC3×CD3 TCE, which activates CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells equivalently.
- Xiuling Li - Director, AstraZeneca
TIE-ADC is a modular bispecific antibody-drug conjugate platform that co-engages a tumor antigen and an immunosuppressor-cell antigen, delivering a shared payload that independently kills both. Engineered avidity-based binding spares normal immune cells. Across cell lines, xenografts, and humanized PDX models, TIE-ADC drove complete tumor regression along with superior immunomodulation by selectively depleting immunosuppressor cells while enriching effector cells—outperforming an approved ADC and a checkpoint inhibitor.v
- Shiva Bhowmik - President & CEO, Trio Pharmaceuticals
As multispecific antibody technologies become increasingly competitive, creating valuable intellectual property requires more than protecting individual molecules. This presentation explores how antibody engineers can identify, generate, and support patentable innovations across molecular design, functionality, manufacturing, and platform technologies. Attendees will gain practical insights into building layered patent portfolios that maximize commercial value, strengthen competitive positioning, and support long-term innovation leadership.
- Benjamin Pelletier - Co-Chair, Haynes and Boone
T cell engagers (TCE) for solid tumors are often limited by off-tumor toxicity and T-cell exhaustion. We engineered a logic-gated Switch-DARPin TCE which pairs a masked CD3 module with CD2 co-stimulation, restricting its activation only to cells co-expressing MSLN and EpCAM. This AND-gate design improves tumor selectivity while sustaining T-cell proliferation and activity, offering a strategy for more effective bispecific TCEs against EpCAM/MSLN-positive solid cancers with favorable safety profile.
- Martin Steegmaier, Ph.D. - Chief Scientific Officer, Molecular Partners AG
Monoclonal antibodies act through Fc receptor–dependent and –independent mechanisms, all of which are strongly influenced by the nanoscale organization of antibodies and receptors on the cell surface. Here, we develop a method to directly visualize and quantify receptor–antibody complexes in three dimensions within intact cell membranes. Applying this approach, we uncover distinct nanoscale organizational patterns of Type I and Type II anti-CD20 antibodies, revealing how spatial arrangement governs antibody function and provides principles for therapeutic mechanism and design.
- Isabelle Pachmayr - PhD Student, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
- Aran Labrijn, PhD - Director, Antibody Research and Technologies, Genmab
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
Contact Blake Shuka @ blake.shuka@informa.com
- Vaishali Kapoor - Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine
- Krista Kinneer - Director, Oncology Translational Medicine, AstraZeneca
- Megan Rice - Associate Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca
OncoNano Medicine is developing ONM-421, an ON-BOARD™ ultra-pH-sensitive polymer-drug conjugate delivering MMAE, designed to enhance tumor-selective drug delivery. ONM-421 demonstrated broader antigen independent antitumor efficacy compared with an MMAE-based antibody-drug conjugate, which showed limited efficacy in an antigen-low model. ONM-421 also demonstrated improved tolerability versus chemotherapy at an efficacious dose. The data highlight enhanced payload stability and protection during circulation, reinforcing the platform’s ability to enable targeted tumor delivery while reducing off-target toxicity.
- Tian Zhao, PhD - Vice President of R&D, OncoNano Medicine Inc.
This presentation will highlight the development of DLL3-targeted antibody-based radiotheranostic agents, spanning immunoPET imaging and targeted radioligand therapy. Preclinical and early clinical studies demonstrate the potential of DLL3 as a platform for patient selection, treatment monitoring, and precision radionuclide therapy across neuroendocrine malignancies.
- Salomon Tendler, MD, PhD - Assistant Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Paul Parren, PhD - Founder and CSO, Gyes BV
Pathogenic immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are central drivers of a wide range of antibody mediated and autoimmune disorders. Existing strategies to reduce IgG levels are often limited by inefficient IgG depletion, subclass bias, or safety concerns related to Fc mediated effector functions and FcRn biology. Here, we present an innovative antibody approach for efficient, sustained and selective IgG removal. Ig-ABDEG is a first-in-class, Fc-silenced IgG sweeping antibody designed to achieve rapid, deep, and sustained pan-subclass IgG reduction while preserving a favorable safety profile. By combining high affinity IgG capture at physiological pH with release at endosomal pH and FcRn optimized trafficking, Ig-ABDEG enables efficient lysosomal clearance of all IgG subclasses without affecting other immunoglobulins, FcRn integrity, or albumin levels. This mechanistically differentiated approach supports chronic use in IgG mediated diseases, with a first-in-human study currently ongoing.
- Ibo Janssens - Senior Scientist, Argenx
MPACT repurposes the native IgG Fc–FcγR interaction as a covalent docking site, using a single engineered disulfide bond to create mixed-valency, modular multispecific antibodies. The platform enables rapid addition of targeting domains, immune agonists, cytokines, and protease-activated payloads while preserving IgG-like expression and pharmacologic properties. Examples will highlight tunable avidity, antigen-selective T-cell engagement, conditional activation, and in vivo antileukemic activity.
- John Williams - Professor, Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope
We report a modular platform that leverages the endocytic inhibitory receptor FcgRIIB to facilitate selective clearance of pathogenic autoantibodies while sparing the total IgG pool. This platform utilizes a triple-action mechanism: first, it neutralizes autoantibodies by binding and forming small immune complexes (ICs); second, it triggers rapid clearance of these ICs via endocytic cells through avidity-mediated engagement of FcgRIIB; and third, it inhibits pathogenic B cells selectively by co-ligating the B-cell receptor with FcgRIIB.
- Dario Gutierrez, PhD - Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Merida Biosciences
Clinical successes of small molecule and peptide radiopharmaceuticals for prostate and neuroendocrine tumors suggest also revisiting antibodies for targeted delivery of radionuclides. Advantages of engineered antibodies and fragments include the ease of pairing diagnostic (for SPECT or PET) and therapeutic (alpha- or beta-emitting radionuclides) in a “theranostic” approach. Examples will include diabodies and minibodies for immunoPET detection of immune responses and a PSCA-specific engineered antibody for radioimmunotherapy.
- Anna Wu, PhD - Chair and Professor, Department of Immunology and Theranostics, City of Hope
Single-cell transcriptomic profiling identified uPAR as a disease-associated myeloid target in rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-uPAR ADCs were designed to selectively deliver BCL-2 family inhibitors to inflammatory myeloid cells, enabling targeted depletion of activated human monocytes and macrophages in vitro. To overcome species-specific differences in target expression and payload sensitivity, an MMAF ADC was used for in vivo proof-of-concept. This work highlights both the promise and translational challenges of ADCs for autoimmune disease.
- Grace Mortenson - Associate Principal Scientist, Merck Research Labs
ADCs have transformed the therapeutic landscape of oncology and have the potential to shift the treatment paradigm for immune and inflammatory (I&I) diseases by enabling the targeted delivery of payloads to disease-driving immune or inflammatory cells. Hummingbird Bioscience's platform & technologies engineers next-generation ADCs that have the promise to address key limitations of current I&I therapies for patients, including: efficacy ceiling, durability, and tolerability.
- Jerome Boyd-Kirkup - Co-Founder & CSO, Hummingbird Bioscience, Singapore
Our group has developed a portfolio of novel Fc variants comprising distinct designs for enhanced target-cell clearance, complete silencing of Fc-mediated effector functions, extended serum persistence, and accelerated elimination of pathogenic IgG autoantibodies. Their marked functional gains relative to established Fc variants incorporated into marketed therapeutics will be presented.
- Sang Taek Jung, PhD - Associate Professor, Seoul National University