Main Conference Day 1 (28th April 2026) - CET/CEST (Cent Europe Summer, GMT+2)
- Lasse Ebdrup Pedersen - Associate Professor, The Technical University of Denmark
Strategies for multiplexed CRISPR editing beyond ‘simple’ single-gene knockouts
Approaches to enable simultaneous modification of multiple genes and engineer complex traits
The journey of systematic creation of a ‘designer’ CHO host
Navigating the technical challenges when using CRISPR technology:
Off-target effects
Delivery efficiency, etc.
Building a robust tech transfer package to ensure all necessary information is easily accessible.
Prevent misaligned process understanding between sites, to reduce significant product attribute shifts
Utilisation and implementation of cloud-based platforms and data-sharing agreements
Fostering collaboration for optimal product outcome
- Ulrich Rumenapp - Senior Biotech Program Lead, Bayer AG
- Alois Jungbauer - Professor, Dept. of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences
Strategies to overcome the unique stability challenges in ADC purification
Optimising purification steps to maintain integrity of conjugate
Preventing aggregation
Efficiently removing cytotoxic free drug payloads to ensure patient safety.
- Felix Wittkopp - Director of Purification Development Gene Therapy - Gene Therapy Technical Research & Development, Roche, Germany
- Frank Agbogbo - Vice President, Forge Biologics, USA
Quantifying the financial impact of GMP-grade plasmids and transfection reagents: a major driver in high COGs
Emerging technologies to reduce or eliminate plasmid dependency:
Synthetic DNA, doggybone DNA (dbDNA), stable producer cell lines, etc.
Developing robust supply chain mitigation strategy, framework for qualifying new raw materials
Improving transfection efficiency: novel process approaches to reduce volume of transfection reagents required.
- Thibaut Angevin - Director CMC Proteins, BioNTech SE
- Kat Kozyrytska - Founder, Cell Therapy Manufacturability Program
- Francisca Gouveia - Innovation Data & Digital Lead, Novartis, France
- A Representative from Novartis - (Pending Final Confirmation), Novartis
Engineering the central carbon metabolism of CHO cells to reroute metabolic flux, reducing production of toxic lactate
E.g. knocking out lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA)
Tangible benefits in culture performance
Impact of metabolic modifications on CQAs
Improved performance with maintained product quality
Mastering the development, calibration, and validation of a robust model for real-time measurement of critical parameters in reactor
Successful integration of a RAMAN probe to creates a closed-loop, dynamic feeding strategy
Real Results: How can in-line monitoring significantly reduce batch variability and improve consistency of product quality
Overcoming practical challenges of long-term model maintenance within GMP environment
- Alireza Ehsani - Senior Data Scientist - Upstream Process Development, Boehringer Ingelheim
Have a Solution for This Challenge?
This session is your platform to demonstrate leadership and technical expertise. Present your data, case studies, and innovative solutions to a targeted audience of senior scientists and engineers looking to solve hurdles in their production processes.
To learn more about sponsoring this session, contact us at Partners@informaconnectls.com
- Sabrina Simpson-Koch - Senior Scientist - Gene Therapy Technical Research & Development, Roche
EVs are rapidly growing, but with no established purification platform
Current state-of-the-art purification strategies
Pros and Cons of differing approaches:
Centrifugation
Filtration
Chromatography
The future of EV purification: what will a platform look like?
- Hollie Bartley - Director, Process Development, Resolution Therapeutics
- Pablo Mancheño Corvo - Associate Scientific Director, Takeda, Spain
- Peter Satzer - Founder & CTO, print4biotech (p4b)
How can models be trained to predict critical downstream performance of chromatography columns?
Data-driven insights leading to optimised buffer recipes
Reducing resin usage
Higher final purity of drug product
Have a Solution for This Challenge?
This session is your platform to demonstrate leadership and technical expertise. Present your data, case studies, and innovative solutions to a targeted audience of senior scientists and engineers looking to solve hurdles in their production processes.
To learn more about sponsoring this session, contact us at Partners@informaconnectls.com
- Harry Starkey - Research Manager, Informa Connect
Join this dynamic, peer-led session to tackle biopharma's biggest challenges. Choose a table and engage in an open discussion to share insights and find collaborative solutions.
Choose Your Topic:
- The USP-DSP Handshake: Debate how to create a truly integrated process to solve downstream bottlenecks caused by upstream intensification.
- Validating AI in a GMP World: Tackle the practical steps and regulatory risks for validating AI/ML in a GMP environment.
- Is The 'Platform' Dead for Downstream?: Discuss the future of purification beyond the traditional mAb platform for novel modalities like bispecifics and ADCs.
- Learning from History: What ATMPs can Learn from mAbs: When will cell and gene therapies have their "CHO moment"? Explore key lessons to accelerate ATMP industrialization.
- The ATMP COGS Crisis: Brainstorm radical solutions to drive down the commercially unsustainable manufacturing costs for cell and gene therapies.
- The Sustainability Mandate: Discuss the practical implementation of sustainability as it moves from a "nice-to-have" to a regulatory and business imperative.
- Emerging Markets & Global Supply: Discuss the challenges and opportunities of building biomanufacturing capacity and supply chains in emerging markets.
- Thomas Van Cangh - Deputy Head of Unit - DG SANTE, European Commission