Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN
CANCER BIOTHERAPEUTICS
ADCs, Multi-Specifics, Combined Therapies and Immunotherapy
Inaugural
TUESDAY , 5 NOVE MBER
»»PRE-CONFERENCE PLENARY SESION
16:55 Designing Receptor Binding Proteins with Highly Potent
Biological Function
Andreas Plückthun, Ph.D., Director and Professor, Biochemistry, University
of Zurich
Non-IgG molecules, unless armed with toxins or other effector units, are
usually thought to be limited in the biological responses they can elicit.
However, Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins) are particularly
versatile, because of their favorable biophysical properties, and they can be
engineered into many formats. Using DARPins generated against members
of the EGFR family, and a combination of x-ray crystallography, signaling
studies, and in vivo experiments, it will be demonstrated how molecules
could be engineered to selectively induce apoptosis in tumors, and their
mechanism of action has been deduced. New intracellular sensors will be
described for such studies.
17:45 Immunotherapy with BiTE® Antibodies
Luis Borges, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Therapeutic Innovation Unit, Amgen, Inc.
BiTE® antibodies are potent bispecific single-chain antibodies that redirect T
cells to kill tumors. They engage a tumor target and a constant region of the
T cell receptor to recruit and activate polyclonal T cells to eliminate tumors.
They have demonstrated potent efficacy in various preclinical tumor models
and have now transitioned to clinical studies. Blinatumomab, a CD19xCD3
BiTE® antibody, is in clinical development and has shown high single-agent
response rates in patients with refractory or relapsed B-ALL and B-NHL.
18:30 End of Day
Wednesday, 6 November
07:45 Registration and Morning Coffee
08:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Jason Baum, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Research, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
MULTI-SPECIFIC ANTIBODY PRODUCTS
08:35 Two-in-One Antibody Targeting EGFR and HER3 and Platform
Update
Germaine Fuh, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Antibody Engineering, Genentech, Inc.
Mutation at the antigen binding sites of a mono-specific antibody may recruit a
second binding specificity such that each Fab arm exhibits dual binding function and
IgG with this dual action Fab (DAF) can be produced as conventional IgG. Proofof-
concept is a HER2/VEGF Two-in-One antibody; EGFR/HER3 Two-in-One DAF
antibody is in clinical phase II trial for treating epithelial cancer. The talk will cover the
generation and development of the EGFR/HER3 DAF antibody including preclinical
and clinical phase I data.
09:05 MM-141, a Bispecific Antibody Co-Targeting IGF-1R and Erbb3,
Overcomes Network Adaptation by Blocking Redundant Survival
Pathways
Jason Baum, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Research, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
An integrated Network Biology approach was used to design and optimize MM-
141 to overcome limitations of first generation IGF-1R therapies by also blocking
heregulin-mediated compensation through ErbB3. MM-141 potentiates the activity
of both targeted therapies and chemotherapies through the combined inhibition
of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling as well as control over feedback loops triggered by
these agents.
09:35 Bispecific κλ-bodies for Selective Inhibition of CD47 in Cancer Cells
Nicolas Fischer, Ph.D., Head, Research, Novimmune SA
We have used our κλ-body platform to generate CD47-neutralizing bispecific
antibodies. These fully human antibodies are composed of a CD47-specific arm
and a targeting arm, specific to a tumor associated antigen (TAA). The preferential
neutralization of CD47 on TAA-expressing cancer cells should therefore show better
pharmacological properties and a broader therapeutic window as compared to nontargeted
anti-CD47 monoclonal antibodies. The presentation will also highlight how
light chain diversity can be exploited to create bispecific antibodies with favorable
manufacturability and stability profiles that facilitate their development path.
10:05 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
10:35 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
11:05 Targeting Tumor Microenvironmental Signals with Bispecific
Antibodies
Alessandro Angelini, Ph.D., David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
We have developed bispecific antibodies that locally contravene soluble signaling
factors that establish the supporting tumor microenvironment that enables tumor
survival and growth. Soluble factors such as VEGF, TGF-β, and IL-8 play a demonstrated
role in tumorigenesis, and enhanced interdiction of these signals within the tumor
should enhance the therapeutic index of cancer therapy.
11:35 Novel Multi-Targeting Antibody Mixtures: Mode of Action and
Advantages Over Other Approaches
Michael Kragh, Ph.D., Director, Antibody Pharmacology, Symphogen A/S
This talk will present the selection of antibodies against tumor-related antigens to
obtain synergistic combinations, the benefits of simultaneous targeting of multiple
receptors, and examine pan-HER (EGFR, HER2 and HER3) targeting to address
tumor heterogeneity and plasticity.
12:05 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
12:35 Luncheon Presentations (Sponsorship Opportunities Available) or
Lunch on Your Own
ADVANCES WITH CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY
14:00 Chairperson’s Remarks
Andrea van Elsas, CSO, BioNovion B.V.
14:05 Cancer Immunotherapy Using Immune Modulating Antibodies
Andrea van Elsas, CSO, BioNovion B.V.
Immune rejection of human cancer has been an elusive goal until recently. T cell
modulating antibodies targeting CTLA-4 and the PD-1 pathway induced clinically
meaningful responses and long-term benefit in patients with metastatic cancer.
Successful immune rejection can come with significant immune related adverse
events. Immune oncology agents do not directly tumor cells but treat the patient’s
immune cells. In this presentation, the discovery of immune modulating antibodies
and their translation into clinical success will be discussed.
14:35 Immunocytokines: A Novel Potent Class of Armed Antibody
Laura Gualandi, Ph.D., Philochem A.G.
Antibodies are effective tools that can deliver molecules with potent therapeutic
activity, such as Cytokines, to the tumor site, minimizing toxic effects. Aspects like
molecular format, valence and the chosen target antigen contribute to the efficacy of
the immunocytokines in vivo. Combinatory therapeutic strategies with other agents
have also been recently investigated. This talk will cover advanced preclinical and
clinical data on armed antibodies discovered and developed by the Philogen group.
15:05 NKTT320: A Humanized Monoclonal Antibody for Cancer
Immunotherapy
Robert Mashal, CEO, NKT Therapeutics
Activation of iNKT cells has been shown to have therapeutic effects both in
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preclinical models and in patients with cancer, and represents an important pathway
for the immunotherapy of cancer. iNKT cells have an invariant T cell receptor (iTCR).
NKT Therapeutics is developing NKTT320, a humanized monoclonal antibody which
specifically recognizes the iTCR present exclusively on iNKT cells, and has been
shown to activate iNKT cells both in vitro and in vivo.
15:35 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
16:15 Novel Tumor-Targeted, Engineered IL-2 Variant (IL-2v)-Based
Immunocytokines for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Ekkehard Moessner, Ph.D., Group Leader, Protein Engineering, pRED, Roche Glycart A.G.
A novel class of immunocytokines will be discussed that are based on Fc containing
and also on non-Fc containing building blocks. The IL2 component is optimized for
improved performance in tumor targeting. Enhancement of in vivo efficacy, when
combined with ADCC competent antibodies, will be discussed.
ANTIBODY-DRUG CONJUGATES AND PAYLOADS
16:45 Next-Generation ADCs: Enabling Higher Drug Loading,
Alternative Payloads, and Alternative Targeting Moieties
Timothy B. Lowinger, Ph.D., CSO, Mersana Therapeutics, Inc.
The application of polymers to antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) design can provide
numerous advantages, including significantly higher capacity for drug payload;
utilization of alternative payloads not suitable for direct conjugation; improvement of
physicochemical properties; and utilization of protein recognition scaffolds beyond
the commonly used IgGs. Examples of these benefits achieved using Mersana’s
polyacetal-based conjugation system to create next-generation ADCs
will be presented.
17:15 Problem Solving Roundtable Discussions
Table 1: Engineering of Bispecific Antibodies
Moderator: Nicolas Fischer, Ph.D., Head, Research, Novimmune SA
Table 2: Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Linkers and Payloads
Moderators: Robert Lutz, Ph.D., Vice President, Translational Research &
Development, ImmunoGen, Inc.
Timothy B. Lowinger, Ph.D., CSO, Mersana Therapeutics, Inc.
Table 3: Site-Specific Conjugation of ADCs
Moderator: Pavel Strop, Ph.D., Associate Research Fellow, Protein
Engineering, Rinat-Pfizer, Inc.
Table 4: Cancer Immunotherapy: Reaping the Benefits
Moderators: Andrea van Elsas, CSO, BioNovion B.V
Luis Borges, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Amgen, Inc.
Table 5: Cancer Biotherapeutics in the Clinic
Moderators: Jason Baum, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Research, Merrimack
Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Martine Piccart, M.D., Ph.D., Head, Medical Oncology, Jules Bordet
Institute; Chair, ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology)
18:15 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
19:15 End of Day One
Thursday, 7 November
07:45 Breakfast Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or
Morning Coffee
08:30 Chairperson’s Remarks
Robert Lutz, Ph.D., Vice President, Translational Research & Development,
ImmunoGen, Inc.
08:35 A Universal Chemically Driven Approach for Constructing
Homogeneous ADCs
David Jackson, Ph.D., Principle Scientist, ADC Discovery, Igenica, Inc.
Current ADCs in clinical development are heterogeneous mixtures that differ in
both DAR (drugs/antibody) and their conjugation sites. Igenica has invented novel
site-specific linkers to enable the synthesis of homogeneous ADCs. The linkers
are compatible with a variety of drug payloads and can be applied to any antibody.
Homogeneous ADCs were synthesized using the novel linkers and compared to
heterogeneous ADCs made with conventional linkers. Analytical data and activity of
the ADCs in tumor models will be presented.
09:05 Location Matters: Site of Conjugation Modulates Stability and
Pharmacokinetics of Antibody-Drug Conjugates
Pavel Strop, Ph.D., Associate Research Fellow, Protein Engineering, Rinat- Pfizer, Inc.
To understand the role of conjugation site, we developed an enzymatic method for
site-specific antibody-drug conjugation. This allowed us to attach diverse compounds
at multiple positions and investigate how the site influences stability, toxicity, and
efficacy. We show that the conjugation site has significant impact on ADC stability
and pharmacokinetics in a species-dependent manner. With this method, it is
possible to produce homogeneous ADCs and tune their properties to maximize the
therapeutic window.
09:35 Development of Second Generation Duocarmycin ADCs with
Superior Therapeutic Window
Marion Blomenröhr, Ph.D., Program Manager Biopharmaceuticals, Synthon
Biopharmaceuticals
The first generation ADCs have successfully exploited the mAb-driven tumor cell
targeting for optimization of efficacy, but have failed to reduce off-target toxicities.
This presentation will highlight Synthon’s second generation Linker-Drug technology
and its complementarity with novel proprietary duocarmycin payloads yielding highly
stable and potent ADCs, with an improved in vivo therapeutic window.
10:05 Producing Better Antibody-Drug Conjugates Sponsored by
(ADCs) Using ThioBridge™ Conjugation
Antony Godwin, Ph.D., Director, Science & Technology, PolyTherics Ltd
Next-generation antibody-drug conjugates will be required to be less heterogeneous
and have better stability. PolyTherics has developed ThioBridge™ for improved
conjugation of a cytotoxic payload at the disulfides bonds of antibodies, antibody
fragments and other targeting proteins. With ThioBridge™, the resulting ADC
has the benefit of reduced heterogeneity, as the drug to antibody ratio is limited
to a maximum of 4 with little DAR 0 species. Stability is also enhanced, as unlike
single thiol conjugation approaches at disulfides, ThioBridge™ is not prone to
drug deconjugation reactions in serum. In vitro and in vivo data for mAb and Fab
conjugates with an established payload confirms specific binding and activity.
10:35 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
»»PLENARY SESION
11:05 Medical Treatment of HER2 Positive Breast Cancer: Two
Decades of a Fascinating History and More to Come
Martine Piccart, M.D., Ph.D., Head, Medical Oncology, Jules Bordet
Institute; Chair, ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology)
The talk will cover multiple aspects of anti-HER2 treatment in breast cancer.
It will present a summary of the clinical results obtained with trastuzumab
and several other anti-HER2 drugs in breast cancer (lapatinib, TDM1,
pertuzumab). Issues like the treatment duration, biomarkers of resistance
to treatment will be debated. Finally it will discuss future promising
research strategies: neoadjuvant trials, comparison between anti-HER2
agents, combinations of these drugs and functional imaging.
11:50 Antibody-Drug Conjugates: From Bench to Bedside and Back
Robert Lutz, Ph.D., Vice President, Translational Research & Development,
ImmunoGen, Inc.
Antibody-drug conjugates are emerging as an exciting approach to the
development of antibody-based therapeutics. The growing preclinical and
clinical experience with maytansinoid conjugates such as Kadcyla (T-DM1) is
leading to an enhanced understanding regarding critical attributes for target
antigens, antibodies, payloads and linkers. The translational knowledge
is being incorporated into research and development efforts for the next
generation of ADC candidates.
12:35 End of Cancer Biotherapeutics
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