8:00 am
Coffee & Registration
8:50 am
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Setting the Context – Highlighting Key Characterisation Strategies & Modality Approaches in B-Cell Directed Drug Development to Elevate New Targets & Novel Cell Types
9:00 am Opening Discussion: Advancing Next Generation Characterization Technologies & Modality Approaches to Move Towards More Targeted Tissue & Antigen-Specific B Cell Therapeutic Strategies
Synopsis
- Evaluating B cell depletion and modulation therapeutic strategies for more patient centric drug development in autoimmunity
- Highlighting penetrative modality approaches to overcome tissue-specific delivery challenges
- Leveraging cutting edge immuno-profiling platforms to distinguish tissue-specific pathogenic targets in the B cell lineage
9:45 am Speed Networking
Synopsis
This session is the ideal opportunity to get face-to-face time with some of the leaders working with B cells in the autoimmune space and establish meaningful business relationships during the meeting and beyond
10:15 am Morning Refreshment Break
Optimizing Tissue Subset Analysis & Accessibility to Help Identify Pathogenic B Cells & Move Towards an Antigen & Tissue-Specific Therapeutic Strategy
10:45 am Mapping Cellular & Molecular Heterogeneity in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Synopsis
- Understanding cellular and molecular phenotypes within the context of tissue-specific and localized cell-cell interactions
- Using high-resolution spatial transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing to investigate key pathomechanisms Leveraging key modalities to exploit and identify drug targets and biomarkers
11:15 am Utilizing Non-Invasive Tissue Imaging in Both Pre-Clinical & Clinical Settings
Synopsis
- Leveraging the role of nanobodies in drug delivery and CAR-T applications
- Highlighting nanobodies as theranostics in a variety of disease indications including autoimmunity
- Utilizing nanobodies in non-invasive PET imaging to vizualize and control autoimmune disease progression
11:45 am Roundtable Discussion: Revealing Key Consortia Alliances in the Autoimmune Community to Increase Patient Sample Accessibility & Overcome Ethical Approval Barriers
Synopsis
- Evaluating current options for acquiring tissue specimens to ease financial constraints and increase sample accessibility to help achieve reliable and representative data
- Driving stakeholder community and collaboration to elevate patient-centric sample collection strategies
12:30 pm Lunch & Networking
Elevating CD19, CD20 & CD22 as Key Targets for Targeted B Cell Modulation to Move Beyond Lineage Depletion Strategies
1:30 pm Exploiting B Cell Siglecs to Suppress Unwanted Immune Responses
Synopsis
- Suppressing antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases and anti-drug antibodies
- Understanding the potential of CD22 siglecs to suppress B cell signaling following BCR recruitment
- Revealing co-display of CD22 targeted antigens and ligands as a means to induce antigenspecific tolerance and treat autoimmune dis
2:00 pm A Novel Non-Depleting Anti-CD19 Antibody Impairs B Cell Function & Inhibits Autoimmune Diseases
Synopsis
- Evaluating CD19-induced B cell inhibition as an alternative to CD19 and CD20 depleting therapies
- Exploring novel mechanisms of B cell inhibition through CD19 non-depleting antibodies
- Understanding the potential of CD19 non-depleting antibodies to provide improved efficacy over CD20-mediated B cell depletion
2:30 pm Afternoon Break & Poster Session
Synopsis
This session provides the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with like-minded peers and highlight some of the groundbreaking work that is helping to bring the next wave of targeted B cell therapeutics in autoimmunity to patients who need them the most.
Leveraging the Potential of Combined Modality Strategies to Achieve Broader Therapeutic Efficacy in Autoimmune Patient Populations
3:30 pm Harnessing Natural Brakes: The Promise and Challenges of B Cell Co-inhibition
Synopsis
- Regulating leukocyte activation through endogenous co-inhibition mechanisms
- Understanding the therapeutic potential of rapidly maturing T and B cell co-inhibition to treat autoimmune disease
- Promoting B cell co-inhibition as a promising area to modulate B cells with novel pharmacologic agents and understand the function of key receptors
4:00 pm Synergistically Targeting IL-17A- & BAFF-Driven Inflammation Using ZB-106, a Novel Dual-Antagonist Antibody
Synopsis
- Understanding increased inflammatory cytokine signaling, B&T cell activation and the presence of autoantibodies as key hallmarks of autoimmune diseases
- Grasping the role of increased IL-17A and BAFF in driving chronic inflammation, tissue damage, autoreactive B cell and autoantibody activation to appreciate their role as therapeutic targets in autoimmunity
- Targeting IL-17A and BAFF with ZB-106, a novel bispecific antibody to increase clinical benefit in autoimmune patient populations
4:30 pm Panel Discussion: Promoting Combination Strategies to Achieve Optimal Specificity for a Safer & Broader Therapeutic Effect in Autoimmune Patient Populations
Synopsis
- Assessing the feasibility of a combined modality strategy to achieve efficacy in autoantibody-independent disease indications
- Discussing key lessons from oncology to identify drug modality combinations for a precision medicine-based combination strategy in autoimmunity
- Establishing acceptable levels of off-target safety effects in combined modality strategies to shorten future regulatory pathways in autoimmunity