Conference Day One
Wednesday, April 24
Conference Day One
Wednesday 24th April 2024
7:00 am Check-In & Coffee
7:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Tomorrow’s TCR: Innovating the Future of Therapeutic Frontiers
8:00 am Industry Leaders’ Fireside Chat: Unveiling the Future of T-Cell Receptor Therapies: What’s on the Horizon?
Synopsis
- Uncovering the wealth of advancements in TCR therapy and analyzing data for robust clinical validation
- Exploring a spectrum of TCR modalities and their distinct targeting advantages
- Overcoming challenges with novel strategies and technologies, bringing us closer to a future where T-cell receptor therapies are not only groundbreaking but also widely accessible
8:30 am T-cell Receptor Targets: First Principles for Future Prospects
Synopsis
- Expanding the tumor immunopeptidome by applying first principles of immunogenicity
- Uncovering high value targets for patient-centric TCR-based therapy
- Overcoming challenges in antigen-loss and immune resistance
8:55 am Keyway TCR-like Antibody (TCR mimic) Discovery: Fully Integrated Workflow to Get from Target Idea to Highly Specific & Functional Lead Candidate
Synopsis
• TCR-like antibody therapeutics (TCR mimics) enable the targeting of intracellular proteins
(>70% of the human proteome) that have not been addressed by conventional cancer immunotherapies while avoiding the manufacturing and regulatory challenges of other TCRbased modalities.
• Keyway TCRm Discovery is the industry leading service to deliver fully functional and highlyspecific lead TCRm candidates by integrating high quality pMHC generation, best-in-class antibody discovery capabilities, comprehensive AI/ML enabled specificity screening, and therapeutically-tailored functional testing.
• Keyway TCRm Discovery is led by pioneering minds in the field of TCR-based therapies and the team has successfully executed 9+ partner projects across a variety of targets and pHLA.
9:25 am Surging Ahead with the Next Wave of Precision Immuno-Oncology to Unleash the Power of T-cell Immunity
Synopsis
- TCR-targeted therapies utilize engineered T-cell receptors to precisely recognize a variety of cancer antigens presented on cell surface via MHC molecules, allowing for targeted attack against a broad range of cancers at their core
- These therapies offer increased specificity by targeting intracellular antigens, potentially addressing tumor heterogeneity and providing a more comprehensive approach compared to surface antigen-targeting therapies like CAR-T or ADC
- Ongoing research aims to further improve TCR-based immunotherapy’s efficacy, reduce adverse effects, and broaden applicability across different cancer types, ushering in the next wave of precision immunotherapy
9:50 am Morning Refreshment Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
As the TCR community re-unites, this session will provide valuable networking time with your peers, enabling you to forge new and lasting connections
10:50 am OpTiMus®: An In Vivo Platform for Human TCR Discovery
Synopsis
• In vivo platform
• Single cell technology-based TCR discovery
• Phenotype-driven TCR discovery
11:15 am Targeting HLA/Peptides with Cell-Based Therapies: Target Discovery, Binder Generation & Benchmarking TCR-T Cells vs TCR Mimetic-Based CAR-T Cells
Synopsis
• Proteogenomic/Immunopeptidomic pipeline for HLA/peptide target discovery/validation
• Robust in vivo platforms for TCR and TCRm antibody discovery
• Benchmarking TCR-T vs TCR mimetic-based CAR-T: TCR and CAR-T cells demonstrate differential tumor control, reflecting co-stimulatory signaling requirements
11:40 am Functional Enhancement of TCR from Suboptimal Frameworks
Synopsis
• Approach for TCR modification for heightened sensitivity and selectivity to targets
• TCR selection and screening methodologies and parameters
• Insights from off-target screening with modified TCR libraries
12:05 pm Revolutionizing TCR Therapy: Novel Technologies, Platforms, & Machine Learning in Target & TCR Discovery
Synopsis
• The latest advancements in novel technologies facilitating the identification of precise targets in TCR therapy, pushing the boundaries of target and TCR discovery
• Application of computational and machine learning tools, revolutionizing the analysis of complex biological data to uncover hidden patterns and accelerate target identification
• Novel technologies and computational modelling is reshaping the landscape of TCR therapy development
12:30 pm Lunch Break & Networking
1:30 pm Case Study: Bridging the Gap: Navigating the Translation to Clinic in TCR-T Development
Synopsis
- Key strategies and considerations for translating TCR-T therapies from preclinical development to clinical applications
- The FIH study of an HLA-class II restricted HPV18 E7 specific TCR cloned from a long-term surviving cervical cancer patient
- Beside affinity, what did we learn from TCR-T development?
- Deciding on a preclinical model and data package
1:55 pm Enhancing TCR-T Activity through Target Selection, Synthetic Biology, & Non-Viral Gene Editing for Solid Tumor Treatment
Synopsis
• Discuss how targeting oncodriver mutations for which the cancer has established genetic dependency can limit tumor escape and avoid on-target/off-tumor toxicities
• Highlight the incorporation of novel chimeric fusion proteins that can enable TCR-Ts to overcome unfavorable solid tumor microenvironments
• Discuss the added benefit of non-viral gene-editing to improve the anti-tumor activity and manufacturing of TCR-Ts
2:20 pm A Novel Off-the-Shelf TCR Bispecific Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy
Synopsis
• Plug and play approach for making TCR engagers integrated with our clinical validated TCE technology
• Our approach was optimized from different design for best activity and IgG-like manufacturing properties
• The platform was validated by testing several TCR targets in vitro and in vivo with potent preclinical activity
2:45 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Networking
3:15 pm Roundtable: Endurance Unveiled: TCR Therapies Showcasing Durability in Solid Tumors
Synopsis
• Discuss key clinical trials highlighting the enduring efficacy of TCR therapies in solid tumors, emphasizing long-term patient responses and sustained anti-tumor effects
• Explore the underlying mechanisms contributing to the durability of TCR therapies in solid tumors, delving into factors influencing persistence and resistance patterns
• Engage patients and experts to discuss lived experiences and future expectations regarding the long-lasting benefits of TCR therapies in managing solid tumors
3:40 pm Prolonging Impact: Strategies for Longevity in TCR-T Therapy
Synopsis
• Discuss methods to bolster T-cell persistence, focusing on memory phenotype development for prolonged anti-tumor activity
• Explore the role of combination therapies in mitigating T-cell exhaustion, fostering longevity and sustained efficacy against tumors
• Highlight the importance of personalized approaches and biomarker-driven strategies in sustaining TCR-T therapy effectiveness for extended periods
4:05 pm Panel: Unveiling Distinctions: Evaluating TCR-T Cell Therapies, CAR-T, TCR Bispecifics, & Antibody Mimetics for Tailored Therapeutic Advancements
Synopsis
• Quantifying Effectiveness: Comparing the relative affinities, potencies, and safety profiles of T-cell therapies, CAR-T, TCR bispecifics and antibody mimetics to discern their unique therapeutic characteristics
• Strategic Suitability: Assessing the optimal indications and patient populations where each TCR modality excels
• Beyond the Horizon: Exploring potential future modalities in the TCR therapy landscape, envisioning the untapped possibilities for further advancements in precision medicine
• The relevance of affinity maturation across modalities
4:35 pm Afternoon Refreshments
4:50 pm Enhancing Therapeutic Impact: Integrating Co- Stimulatory Signaling in TCR-T Therapies
Synopsis
• Explore how combining TCR-T therapy with co-stimulatory signaling approaches enhances T-cell activation and persistence, and efficacy
• Discuss the strategic choices in integration of co-stimulatory signaling, such as in the molecular designs of TCR-based
• Chimeric Antigen Receptor (TCR-CAR), to fine-tune immune responses, preventing exhaustion and augmenting durable anti-tumor effects in TCR-T clinical strategies
• Highlight the potential impact on therapeutic outcomes of integrating co-stimulatory signaling in TCR-T therapy, referring to the molecular designs of current clinically approved CAR-T therapies
5:15 pm Unlocking Tumor Eradication with Antibodies-MHC T-Cell Engagers
Synopsis
• Discuss how antibodies targeting tumor peptides on the MHC enable T-cells access to an untapped reservoir of intracellular tumor antigens
• Explore the synergy of our proprietary antibody-MHC platform to develop highly specific T-cell engagers for targeting tumors
• Highlight the potential of leveraging the potency, versatility and manufacturability of antibodies to target tumor peptides on the MHC, revolutionizing cancer immunotherapy
5:40 pm Unveiling the Impact of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) on Solid Tumors & the TCR Landscape
Synopsis
• Exploring the potential of TILs as a groundbreaking avenue for cancer treatment by leveraging the body’s immune system to combat solid tumors
• Understanding the pivotal role of TILs as prognostic indicators and their ability to infiltrate and target solid tumor microenvironments for therapeutic interventions
• Delving into the diverse and specialized T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires present within TILs and their critical role in orchestrating effective immune responses against various types of solid tumors