Tuesday 16th September - Main Conference Day One - ET (Eastern Time, GMT-05:00)
- Eden Turner - Portfolio Manager, Informa Connect
- Terrence Dobrowsky - Head of Biotherapeutics Technology Development and Implementation, Takeda
- Thomas Seewoester - Vice President, Site Operations, Amgen
- Tracy Ryan - Co-Founder & Chief Communications Officer, NKore BioTherapeutics
- Sophie Ryan - Cancer Survivor & Global Advocate, NKore BioTherapeutics
- Christopher Bravery, Ph.D. - Consulting Regulatory Scientist, Advbiols
- James Blackwell - President and Principal Consultant, The Windshire Group, LLC
- Tracy Payne - SVP Business Development, Principal Consultant Business Strategy & Operations, Windshire Group, LLC. Labshire, LLC
- Margaret Lai - Principal Scientist I, Novartis
- Bhanu Chandra Mulukutla - Research Fellow, BioTherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer
- Mark Blenner - Associate Professor, University of Delaware
- Sarwat Khattak - Head of Cell Culture & Cell Line Development, Biogen
- Shruti Santhosh - Engineer II, Biogen
- Yuxin Liu - Scientist, Cell Culture Platform, Sanofi
- Sanjay Nilapwar, Ph.D. - Principal Scientist I, Purification Development, BioProcess Development, Operations Science & Technology – Biologics, Abbvie
- Marc Schrader - Senior Scientist, Abbvie
- Yao-Ming Huang, PhD - Executive Director, Eli Lilly
- Kartik Subramanian, Ph.D. - Vice President Product Development Science and Technology Biologics, AbbVie
- Yuxiang (Henry) Zhao - Senior Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Ramani Raghavan - Managing Director, Meadowlark BioPharma
- Kartik Subramanian, Ph.D. - Vice President Product Development Science and Technology Biologics, AbbVie
- Zhengqi Zhang - Associate Principal Scientist, Merck
- Christopher Bravery, Ph.D. - Consulting Regulatory Scientist, Advbiols
- James Blackwell - President and Principal Consultant, The Windshire Group, LLC
- Tracy Payne - SVP Business Development, Principal Consultant Business Strategy & Operations, Windshire Group, LLC. Labshire, LLC
The CGT C-Level Forum provides a unique, powerful and valuable space for candidly sharing ideas and experiences between executives of ~20 CGT therapeutic development companies. The forum is designed to foster new ideas and create new relationships between attendees so that they can leave with tangible outcomes and that will drive their businesses and the sector forward.
An exclusive invite-only session, in a closed room setting, the forum will focus on discussing the right approach to engage and partner with pharma and industry. It will also include general discussion focused on brainstorming solutions to the most pressing and current challenges of CEO/CSO/CBO/CMOs in the CGT sector.
- Shashi Murthy, PhD - CTO and Co-Founder, Nanite Inc.
- Margaret Lai - Principal Scientist I, Novartis
- Vishruti Makani - Associate Director – CLD and R&D Support, Shattuck Labs, Inc.
- Susan Sharfstein, PhD - Professor of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany
- Song Zhiwei - Senior Principal Scientist, Nexa Biologics
- Yang Wu - Principal Scientist, Sanofi
- Lynn Mao - Senior Scientist, AstraZeneca
- Michael Butler - Principal Investigator, Cell Technology, NIBRT
- Sanjay Nilapwar, Ph.D. - Principal Scientist I, Purification Development, BioProcess Development, Operations Science & Technology – Biologics, Abbvie
- Olga M. Paley, PhD - Director Purification Process Development, Takeda
- Christine Pham - Principal Scientist, Purification Process Development, Gilead
- Michael O'Connor - Experienced Leader & Bioprocess Engineer, Independent
- Dhanuka Wasalathanthri, PhD - Associate Director, Bristol Myers Squibb
- Ramani Raghavan - Managing Director, Meadowlark BioPharma
- Rajeev Boregowda - Associate Director, Bioassay & Molecular Analytical Development, Genomic Medicine CMC, Sanofi
- Kevin Zen, PhD - CMC Technical Operations, Opthea
- Lior Shaltiel - CEO, NurExone Biologic
- Renée Hart - President & Chief Business Officer, LumaCyte
- Catherine Simpson - Conference Director - Cell and Gene Therapy Portfolio, Informa Connect LifeSciences
- Anthony Davies, Ph.D. - Founder & CEO, Dark Horse Consulting Group Inc.
- Wolfram Carius, PhD - EVP Pharmaceuticals, Bayer
- Erin Kimbrel - Head of Cell and Gene Research, Astellas Pharma Inc.
- Stephen Kennedy - Head of Technical Operations, CRISPR Therapeutics
- Ruth Salmon - VP, BMS Cell Therapy Research, Bristol Myers Squibb
- Bryan Poltilove - Strategic Advisor and Independent Board Director, Independent
- Daniel Friedman - Principal, BroadOak Capital
- Aaron Fisher - Director, Life Sciences Investments, ARCHIMED
- Fiona Miller - Managing Partner, quadraScope Ventures
- Mary Schaheen - President and Director, Prevail Partners
Join the BPI Team for a tour of the Exhibit Hall, to help you navigate the rest of the event with confidence!
Our team will show you around all of the exciting Exhibit Hall Feature Areas, ending at the Creative Exchange for some refreshments and networking activities.
Meet by the Focus Pods next to the entrance to the Exhibit Hall.
- Steffen Goletz, PhD - Full Professor, Head of Biotherapeutic Glycoengineering and Immunology - Institute for Biotechnology & Biomedicine, Danish Technical University
- Darryl Sampey - President & CEO, BioFactura, Inc
- Ana Di Lillo - Scientist, AstraZeneca
- Emily Rittershaus - Principal Scientist, Process Development Upstream Biologics Development, Bristol Myers Squibb
Round Table Session 1: Host Cell Proteins (HCPs): The Unseen Challenge
- Focus: Managing HCPs throughout the bioprocessing lifecycle.
- Key Discussion Points:
- HCP Characterization and Detection: Advancements in analytical methods for identifying and quantifying HCPs, including challenges with low-level detection and diverse HCP populations. Discuss the use of orthogonal methods.
- Impact of HCPs on Product Quality: Explore the mechanisms by which HCPs can affect product stability, efficacy, and immunogenicity. Focus on specific examples and case studies.
- HCP Removal Strategies: Evaluate current HCP removal technologies (chromatography, filtration) and discuss emerging approaches (e.g., novel resins, targeted removal). Consider the challenges of removing specific "high-risk" HCPs (lipases, proteases).
- HCP-Related Challenges in Different Product Modalities: Discuss specific HCP challenges associated with different types of biologics (e.g., antibodies, proteins, vaccines, cell therapies).
- Setting HCP Acceptance Criteria: How do we determine appropriate levels of HCPs, and what factors influence these decisions? Discuss the role of regulatory guidance.
- Future Directions in HCP Management: Explore innovative technologies and strategies for improved HCP control and monitoring. Discuss the role of AI/ML in predicting and managing HCP-related risks.
Round Table Session 2: Approach to complying with the latest FDA guidelines on Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Diethylene Glycol (DEG)
Roundtable Session 3: Polysorbate Degradation: Protecting Product Stability
- Focus: Understanding the mechanisms of polysorbate degradation and developing strategies to mitigate it.
- Key Discussion Points:
- Mechanisms of Polysorbate Degradation: Discuss the various pathways of polysorbate degradation, including hydrolysis, oxidation, and enzymatic degradation (with a focus on lipase contamination).
- Factors Influencing Degradation: Explore the factors that can influence polysorbate degradation, such as pH, temperature, oxygen levels, and the presence of specific HCPs (especially lipases).
- Analytical Methods for Monitoring Degradation: Discuss analytical techniques for detecting and quantifying polysorbate degradation products.
- Strategies for Mitigating Degradation: Explore strategies for preventing or minimizing polysorbate degradation, including process optimization, excipient selection, and the use of inhibitors.
- Impact of Polysorbate Degradation on Product Quality: Discuss the potential consequences of polysorbate degradation on product stability, efficacy, and safety.
- Case Studies of Polysorbate Degradation: Share real-world examples of polysorbate degradation challenges and the solutions implemented.
- Future Directions in Polysorbate Management: Explore new approaches for stabilizing polysorbates and preventing degradation, including the use of novel excipients and formulation strategies. Discuss the potential of more sensitive analytical methods.
- Stefano Menegatti - Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University
- Qin Gu - Process Development Senior Scientist, Amgen
- Japneet Kaur - Associate Director, Takeda
- Christoph Herwig - Senior Scientific Advisor, Körber Pharma Austria GmbH, Austria
- Victoria Kennedy - Senior Scientist, Sanofi
- Wenyan Liao - Principal GMP QA Manager, Pharmaceutical Science Device and Quality, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
- Kimberly Larson - Principal Scientist, Boehringer Ingelheim
- Matthew Klinker - Branch Chief - Cell Therapy Branch 2, CBER, FDA
- Jing Song - Vice President of Biologics Technical Development, BeOne Medicines
- Joe Vogel - Vice President, OUTbio
- Debra Fowler - Executive Director and Co-founder, History UnErased
- Danny Roberts - Operations Manager, History UnErased