Thursday 18th September - Main Conference Day Three - ET (Eastern Time, GMT-05:00)
- Colette Ranucci - Vice President, Global Vaccines Science & Technology, Merck
- Amit Mathur, PhD - Principal Scientist, Sanofi
- Lina Chakrabarti - Associate Principal Scientist, Astrazeneca
- Ningning Xu - Principal Scientist, Sanofi
- Jianlin (Jim) Xu - Global Head of Cell Culture Platform, Sanofi
- Keshab Rijal - Principal Scientist, Amgen
- Stefano Menegatti - Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University
- Joseph Silhavy - Senior Scientist, Pfizer
- Abraham Lenhoff - Allan P. Colburn Professor, University of Delaware
- Mariusz Hombek - Business Development Executive, PQE Group
- Wei Huang - President, Henlius Biopharmaceutical Ltd, China
- Yuxin He - Sr Engineer II, Moderna
- Michael O'Connor - Experienced Leader & Bioprocess Engineer, Independent
- Kat Kozyrytska - Consultant, AI Implementation & Tech Commercialization
- Jane Adams - Graduate Researcher & Software Engineer: Data Visualization & Life Sciences Computer Science PhD Student, Northeastern University
- Wei Zhang - Director, Analytical Development, Ultragenyx Gene Therapy
- Nathan Yozwiak - Head of Research, Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, Mass General Brigham
- Francesca Vitelli, PhD - VP Global head of Process and Analytical Development and Innovation (PADI), Minaris
- Brian Laskowski - VP, Head of Quality Assurance CMC, Beacon Therapeutics
- Sam Cooper - VP, Cell and Gene Logistics, Cardinal Health
- Pratima Cherukuri - General Manager and Senior Vice President for the Plasmid Business, Bionova Scientific
- Kate Rochlin - Chief Operating Officer, IN8bio
- Justin Skoble - Vice President of Technical Development, Caribou Biosciences, Inc.
- Monica Raimo - Director, Product and Process Development, Glycostem Therapeutics
- Rajeev Boregowda - Associate Director, Bioassay & Molecular Analytical Development, Genomic Medicine CMC, Sanofi
- Sarah Thomas - Senior Vice President, Quality, REGENXBIO Inc.
- Jun Li - Associate Director – Upstream Process Development: Gene Therapy, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical
- Shahid Uddin - Senior Director, Formulation Development and Laboratory Operations, CMC, Immunocore
This talk will focus on the steps and procedures necessary to produce a drug product, starting with a biologic drug substance. This is the final step in drug manufacture and the only set of procedures that must be done aseptically. The typical testing procedures for drug product will also be discussed.
- Frank Riske, Ph.D. - Founder and Principal Consultant, Deep Dive Biotech Consulting
- Gil Roth - President, Pharma & Biopharma Outsourcing Association
- Prioritising strategic value and technological fit over cost.
- Moving from contract oversight to building true strategic alliances and relationships.
- Leveraging CDMOs to access innovation.
- Integration for Speed: Aligning partnerships to directly accelerate development timelines and time to market.
- Gil Roth - President, Pharma & Biopharma Outsourcing Association
- Russell Miller - Vice President, Global Sale & Marketing, Enzene Inc.
- Siddhartha (Sidd) Shrivastava, PhD - SVP, Head of CMC and Global Technical Operations, Cue Biopharma
- Georgia Sloboda - Managing Director, CMC, Sia/LBG
- Willis Thomas - HR Business Partner, PQE
This presentation outlines a systematic, data-driven framework for evaluating the developability of biologic therapeutics, with emphasis on pre-formulation. An IgG1 monoclonal antibody case study demonstrates key methodologies, including in silico stability profiling, forced degradation, formulation screening via DoE, and predictive modeling, to support early risk assessment and formulation strategy development.
- John Rockwell - Manager, BioChemical Analysis, BioAnalytics, Catalent
This poster presents a customized mass spectrometry approach for sub-ppm quantitation of high-risk host cell proteins (HCPs) considered critical quality attributes. Enhancements to standard HCP-MS workflows enable sensitive detection of immunogenic or enzymatic HCPs. DnaK is used as a model to demonstrate method specificity and performance.
- Shawn Fitzgibbons - Principal Scientist, BioAnalytics, Catalent
Join us for an enlightening session where corporate professionals and industry leaders share insights about diverse scientific career paths that students may not have previously considered.
- Discover Hidden Career Paths: Explore science roles beyond the lab and academia.
- From Research to Real-World Impact: See how scientific work drives innovation in corporate and global contexts.
- Education & Skills Roadmap: Learn the pathways and skills needed to enter and thrive in science-based industries.
- Growth & Leadership: Understand how technical roles can evolve into management and executive opportunities.
- Networking that Works: Hear how mentors and professional connections shape long-term career success.
- Future Trends: Get a look at emerging fields and where science careers are headed next.
- Joshua Pierce - CEO + Founder, Dream Opportunity
- Greg Hammond - Head of Technical Operations, BioTalent
- Jared Auclair, PhD - Dean College of Professional Studies and Director of Bioinnovation, College of Science at Northeastern University
- Natalie Kuldell - Executive Director, BioBuilder Educational Foundation
We present the automated Cloning Platform using microfluidic GRIDs for efficient hiPSC genome editing. By leveraging interfacial tension and optical clarity, single cells are cultured in traceable nanoliter chambers. The platform delivers high cloning efficiency, reduced workflow complexity, and robust maintenance of pluripotency in genome-engineered hiPSC clones.
- Matthias Hoja - Sales and Business Development Manager, iotaSciences Ltd.
Advancing an ADC biosimilar upends the workflows with which we are most familiar. Clinical benefits have already been established, and the primary goal is to establish comparability with the existing product. Presented herein are strategies that enabled completion of three Kadcyla® PPQ runs within five months of Pivotal execution.
- Jonathan Rheuben - Managing Director, MabPlex
Addition of trehalose during harvesting process decreased conductivity of CHO cell culture fluid and reduced host cell proteins in a filtrate. This effect was demonstrated by filtration using 3M™ Harvest RC chromatographic clarifier. Our findings suggest an entirely new approach to reducing carry-over of impurities into later purification process.
- Kotaro Hashimoto - Scientist, Nagase Viita
Our Smart Process Design is an intuitive, AI-enhanced platform that makes advanced process models accessible. It enables users to analyze, simulate, and optimize bioprocesses efficiently; without extensive coding expertise. By integrating digital representations of manufacturing steps, it empowers the design of superior processes through seamless assessment of new conditions.
- Stefan Haider - Director Business Development and Key Account Management BioXcellence, Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceuticals GmbH
- Daniel Burke - Senior Scientist, Merck
- Shu Wang - Principal Investigator, Incyte
- Andrei Arion - Associate Scientist, Cell Line and Upstream Process Development, Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease
- Jongyoon Han, Ph.D. - Professor, PI of the Micro-Nanofluidic BioMEMS group at RLE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Yi Li - Process Development Principal Scientist, Amgen, Inc.
- Chris Barton - Director, Analytical Development, Takeda
- Kat Kozyrytska - Consultant, AI Implementation & Tech Commercialization
- Marshall Ma - Founder & CEO, PharMAsafe & Faculty at Marymount University
- Divyanshu Malhotra - Scientist, Genmab
- Hugh Salter - Chief Scientific Officer, Anocca AB
- Victor Manuel Diaz Cortes - Research Director, OneChain Immunotherapeutics S.L.
- Shahrooz Rabizadeh - CEO & Co-Founder, Sagittarius Bio
- Yuechen Zhu - Staff Scientist, Bayer AG
- Shankar Swaminathan, PhD - Team Lead, Associate Director Drug Product Development, Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine
- David Dobnik - Research Councillor, National Institute of Biology
- Pierre-Axel Vinot - Associate Director, CMC Portfolio Management, SparingVision
- Shahid Uddin - Senior Director, Formulation Development and Laboratory Operations, CMC, Immunocore
- Laurence Whitty-Léveillé, Ph.D - Associate Principal Scientist, Merck & Co., Inc.
- Regulatory standards – 21 CFR Parts 210 and 211
- Quality Agreement development and Implementation
- Supplier Qualification and Audit – risk based approach - paperbased vs. on onsite
- Compliance and lifecycle Management
- Audit Readiness
- Q&A
- Georgia Sloboda - Managing Director, CMC, Sia/LBG
- Lisa Henderson - VP, Editorial, Informa Connect
We developed a fully single-use, animal-component-free platform for commercial-scale plasmid DNA production critical for rAAV manufacturing. Our process begins with systematic clone screening to verify plasmid integrity and optimize yields. Clones undergo extensive characterization including viability, plasmid retention, and ITR integrity assessments. Using single-use bioreactors (3L-50L), we achieved robust scalability through optimized media and process parameters. The platform accommodates various rAAV-related constructs. Downstream purification combines optimized cell lysis, filtration, and chromatography, yielding high-quality supercoiled plasmids with minimal impurities. Comprehensive analytics confirm quality attributes, with consistent rAAV yields from 250mL to 1000L scale.
- Andrew Wilson - Scientist II, Forge Biologics
- Shinpei Mori-Gilles - Senior Research Associate, Gilead
- Aditya Narvekar - Postdoctoral Associate, Rutgers University
This presentation explores Taylor & Francis Group's comprehensive approach to knowledge dissemination through author-publisher collaboration. We examine how the publishing ecosystem facilitates the transformation of ideas into impactful publications across academic, professional, and practitioner domains. The discussion highlights our streamlined proposal-to-publication pathway, emphasizing personalized author support services designed to maximize scholarly impact. Special attention is given to our innovative Focus Shortform Book Program, which addresses the growing demand for rapid-response publishing in emerging fields. Through case examples and process analysis, we demonstrate how strategic publishing partnerships create accessible knowledge platforms that advance disciplinary conversations and practical applications across global knowledge communities.
- Hilary Lafoe - Senior Commissioning Editor, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taylor & Francis Group/CRC Press/Informa PLC, USA and UK
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are leading vectors for gene delivery, yet current chromatographic tools face limitations including incomplete serotype coverage, low yields, short lifetimes, and harsh elution conditions. ChromaGenix has developed the first serotype-agnostic affinity resin for AAV purification, offering broad coverage, mild elution, high recovery, and extended lifetime for cost-efficient, scalable processes.
- Pat Gilbert - Chief Operating Officer, ChromaGenix
This presentation explores the application of mechanistic AI to accelerate biopharmaceutical process development. We showcase case studies involving model-based design for mAb and mesenchymal stem cell cultivation, achieving development cost reductions of up to 90%. In addition, the talk introduces a data-driven framework for automatically extracting underlying mechanisms and constructing corresponding models from time-series concentration data, highlighting its potential to streamline early-stage development.
- Junu Kim - CEO, Auxilart Co., Ltd.
This presentation explores the application of mechanistic AI to accelerate biopharmaceutical process development. We showcase case studies involving model-based design for mAb and mesenchymal stem cell cultivation, achieving development cost reductions of up to 90%. In addition, the talk introduces a data-driven framework for automatically extracting underlying mechanisms and constructing corresponding models from time-series concentration data, highlighting its potential to streamline early-stage development.
- Junu Kim - CEO, Auxilart Co., Ltd.
Challenges like high costs, scale-up complexity, and prolonged time to manufacture prevent cell therapy from reaching its full potential. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could provide an inexhaustible cell source, expanding their applicability to new medical areas. In this work, the benefits of stirred-tank bioreactors for iPSC culture were explored in 1 L vessels controlled by the SciVario® twin bioreactor.
- Min Tang-Schomer - Senior Research Scientist, Eppendorf
High-concentration Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) (>200 mg/mL) presents challenges such as high viscosity, fouling, and flux loss. In this Poster we discuss the optimization of transmembrane pressure, crossflow rate, and recovery procedure to reduce the C-gel point. This strategy enabled >250 mg/mL concentration with consistent recovery and purity, even at scale.
- Anindita Das - Senior Director, Process Development, Kemwell Biopharma
Super Refined™ Poloxamer 188, optimized for cell culture, addresses variability issues in bioprocessing caused by impurities in standard Poloxamer 188. Demonstrating enhanced cell viability in CHO and HEK lines, this study validates its performance and batch consistency through analytical characterization, offering a reliable solution for high-performance biomanufacturing applications.
- Kritika Bajaj - Lead Research Scientist, Croda
- Amit Mathur, PhD - Principal Scientist, Sanofi
- Efecan Aral - Postdoctoral Associate, Cell Science and Technology, Sanofi
- Caroline Mahl - Team Lead, Cell Culture Development, Lonza
- Zhaohui (Sunny) Zhou - Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University
- Landon Mott - Process Development Principal Scientist, Amgen Inc.
- Kalpanie Bandara - Scientist, Pfizer
- Sarwat Khattak - Head of Cell Culture & Cell Line Development, Biogen
- Sreejit Menon - Research and Technology Director ‐Life Sciences, Croda
- Rahul Pradhan - Associate Director, Cell Culture Platform, Sanofi
- Alan C Wong - Founder and Principal Consultant, Biolaxygen LLC
- Charles Sardonini, PhD - Consultant to the Biotechnology Industry, Sardonini Consulting, LLC
- Stefano Menegatti - Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University
- Emma Cooper - Process Development Engineer, Regeneron
- Sidharth Razdan - Senior Scientist, Pfizer
- Mariusz Hombek - Business Development Executive, PQE Group
- Michael O'Connor - Experienced Leader & Bioprocess Engineer, Independent
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are increasingly used in gene therapy, but downstream processing remains a key bottleneck, particularly regarding viral clearance. Industry practices for rAAV viral safety are not yet harmonized, and regulatory expectations have recently evolved with ICH Q5A(R2), which now extends guidance to viral vectors. This presentation explores strategies for early-stage viral clearance studies to support rAAV development. Key elements include the selection of appropriate model viruses, leveraging prior knowledge from protein biologics and in-house data, and establishing risk-based approaches to viral burden and log reduction value (LRV) targets. We will also discuss the case study illustrates how orthogonal clearance steps—chromatography, viral inactivation, and filtration—were applied and justified using scale-down models under worst-case scenarios, achieving cumulative clearance consistent with regulatory expectations. The findings highlight the importance of early engagement with regulators, the use of helper virus systems with complementary model viruses, and the integration of prior knowledge to accelerate early-phase submissions.
- Yu-Tsan (Richard) Liu - Sr. Scientist, UCB Pharma
- Seth Levy - Senior Director, Bioprocess Development, Modalis Therapeutics
- Shashi Prajapati - Director, Cell & Gene Therapies Analytical Development, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Tamás Kitka - Founder, Managing Director, CREATe Therapeutics
- Marcus Lehmann - Associate Director, Drug Product Process Development, Satellite Bio
- Kat Kozyrytska - Consultant, AI Implementation & Tech Commercialization
- Jared Auclair, PhD - Dean College of Professional Studies and Director of Bioinnovation, College of Science at Northeastern University
- Aaron Edwards - CEO + Co-Founder, KiraGen Bio
- Igor Gonzalez - Digital CMC Scientist - In Silico First Program, Takeda
- Mark Duerkop - Chief Executive Officer, Novasign, Austria
- Helen Sabzevari, PhD - President and CEO, Precigen
- Jeron Chen - Head of Data Science and Payload Innovation, Voyager Therapeutics
- Samir Mitragotri - Hiller Professor of Bioengineering, John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute, Harvard University
- Christina Vessely - Principal Consultant, CMC Analytical and Formulation Development, Biologics Consulting
Subcutaneous delivery of biologics via self-dosing devices is increasingly essential for chronic disease management, yet development remains slow and costly—often requiring years and tens of millions of dollars due to formulation redevelopment and complex clinical trials. A key barrier is the disconnect between drug and device development, regulated under separate frameworks (21 CFR 210/211 vs. 820). This talk introduces an integrated approach for drug and device development from project inception to commercial launch and provide effective toolboxes along the development phases.
- Yu (Eunice) Tang - Executive Director, PharmDev and Manufacturing, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc
- Jeffrey Hausfeld - Chairman of the Board, Biofactura
Group discussions focused on specific challenges in CDMO selection, such as:
- Phase-appropriate CDMO selection & finding CDMOs with niche capabilities (e.g., specific cell lines, advanced therapies).
- Balancing cost, quality, and timelines in the selection process.
- Building trust and transparency in the initial stages of partnership.
Discuss and feedback to the group
- Ran Zheng - Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Bio
- Katie King, PhD - CEO & Co-Founder, BioOrbit
- Ronald Rabin - Chief, Laboratory of Immunobiochemistry, CBER, FDA