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

  • Hidde Ploegh Senior Investigator, Boston Children's Hospital

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

  • James Paulson Professor and Chair of The Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute

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

  • Navin Rao Head of Adaptive Immunity, Janssen Pharmaceutical Research & Development

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

  • Andre Limnander Director Immunology & Inflammation, Regeneron
  • Michael Howell Chief Scientific Officer, Zura Bio
  • Navin Rao Head of Adaptive Immunity, Janssen Pharmaceutical Research & Development

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

5:15 pm
Chair’s Closing Remarks