Day 1- Wednesday September 10th - EST (Eastern Time, UTC-05:00
- The chemistry of oligonucleotides has played a crucial role in giving drug-like properties to oligonucleotides.
- To optimize oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, we explored oligonucleotide shapes that bring the 3'- and 5'-ends into transient cyclic structures.
- Oligonucleotide spatial structures exhibit reduced protein binding because of their shape and diminished interactions with pattern recognition receptors resulting from the inaccessibility of the 5’-end.
- These designs find extensive applications across diverse mechanisms of action for RNA therapeutics, including RNaseH-mediated knockdown, modulation of splicing, siRNA, and gRNA.
- Sudhir Agrawal - President and Founder, Arnay Sciences
Presenting a comprehensive platform supporting nucleic acid therapeutic discovery and development at all stages.
A one-stop service offers monomer and oligonucleotide synthesis for a broad range of nucleic acid therapeutics, including special modifications, chiral oligos, and oligo-conjugations
Sharing expertise in formulation, state-of-the-art in vitro bioassays, toxicity testing and in vivo PoC can further accelerate the discovery and development processes
- Dave Madge, PhD - Vice President, Research Services Division, WuXi AppTec
• Illuminate the critical need for standardization in the rapidly evolving field of oligonucleotide therapeutics, exploring how establishing uniform guidelines for design, manufacturing, and quality control can accelerate drug development, enhance regulatory compliance, and improve the overall safety and efficacy of these innovative treatments.
• Delve into the collaborative efforts of industry leaders, regulatory bodies, and academic institutions to develop consensus-driven standards for oligonucleotide therapeutics, highlighting key areas of focus such as analytical methods, impurity profiling, stability testing, and in vivo delivery assessment, while discussing the potential impact of these standards on streamlining clinical trials and facilitating faster market approval processes.
- Mark Lowenthal - Research Chemist, National Institute of Standards and Technology
The n-Lorem Foundation is pioneering a new paradigm in the development of individualized medicines for patients with ultra-rare genetic diseases. As a unique non-profit biotech, n-Lorem provides free, lifetime treatment to patients who would otherwise be invisible to traditional drug development pathways- those with mutations found in one or a few individuals worldwide.
In this talk, I will share how we are building a scalable and sustainable model that challenges the conventions of therapeutic development. Since our inception, we have received over 330 applications, launched more than 160 patient-directed drug discovery programs, submitted 25+ INDs, and treating 27 patients today. Our approach is deeply rooted in our over 35-year of experience in RNA-targeted therapies, especially antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), offering precision tools that match the urgency and specificity of each patient’s condition.
I will provide an overview of our mission and model, outline our end-to-end discovery and development process, and discuss the scientific considerations that shape our work. Most importantly, I will highlight how our close working relationship with the FDA, our unwavering focus on individual patients, and our deep scientific and clinical expertise are allowing us to deliver highly personalized RNA-targeted treatments where no other options exist.
- Konstantina Skourti-Stathaki - Senior Director, ASO Discovery and Research, n-Lorem Foundation
Divalent siRNA (di-siRNA), a novel small interfering RNA technology, has potency, CNS distribution, and durability appropriate for neurological disease
ATL-201, a di-siRNA targeting the KCNT1 sodium-activated potassium ion channel, gives selective knockdown of KCNT1 transcript and protein and reaches most neurons in the cortex following a dose into cerebrospinal fluid
ATL-201 gives dose-dependent reduction in seizures lasting over four months in mice with Kcnt1-driven epilepsy and shows promise for treatment of gain-of-function KCNT1 genetic epilepsy
- Garth Kinberger - SVP of Chemistry, Atalanta Therapeutics
- Explore innovative RNAi-lipid conjugates targeting immune cell PD-L1 for refractory cancer treatment, focusing on pre-clinical discovery and efficacy of a novel RNAi compound.
- Delve into the compound's mechanism of action and its potential to overcome immunotherapy resistance, highlighting promising pre-clinical results.
- Unveil the strategic clinical trial design, outlining the approach for translating this cutting-edge therapy from laboratory to patient care in challenging cancer cases.
- Shanthi Ganesh - Director, Novo Nordisk
• Learn about innovative AI algorithms that enhance drug design by predicting efficacy, assessing toxicity, and streamlining candidate selection for safer therapies.
• Discover how AI-driven approaches significantly reduce development timelines and improve success rates, bringing new hope to patients with rare diseases.
• Gain insights into the future of personalized medicine, where AI and oligonucleotide technology converge to address unmet medical needs more efficiently.
Explaining the role of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) in cardiovascular risk, the importance of measuring Lp(a) levels and evaluating the potential benefits of Lp(a) lowering
Discussing the role of RNA-targeting therapies in addressing the cardiovascular risk associated with elevated Lp(a) levels
- Margaret Brousseau - Executive Director, Novartis