Immuno-oncology is no doubt the hottest fields in biopharma today. By unleashing the patient’s own immune system to destroy cancerous cells, immuno-oncology represents the ultimate in personalized medicine. The success of immune checkpoint blockade with CTLA-4 and PD-1, and encouraging results with agonists, cytokines and vaccines have paved the way for further research and heightened interest in the field.
At CHI’s Inaugural Immuno-Oncology track at PEGS China, we are looking to engage thought leaders and fore-runners in the field to review the current progress in China’s immuno-oncology field, and highlight innovative approaches and cutting-edge technologies in advancing these molecules into the clinic.
Final Agenda
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
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1:00 pm Registration
PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSION
2:00 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Hongtao Lu, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Scientific Research, Zai Lab, Inc.
2:05 Multimodal Cancer Therapy - Dynamic Process-Based Immuno-Oncology
Bertil Lindmark, M.D., Ph.D., CMO, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals
Novel immune-oncology approaches focusing on T-cell aggression have allowed a clear step change for several cancer forms. Therapies focused on other parts of the immune defense that take part in the immune shield of the tumor, like macrophages, dendritic cells, NK cells, and neutrophils may also be important. However, the classification and diagnosis of the immune processes at play in a given patient and methods to follow and steer immune based therapies are lacking in granularity, speed and interpretation. It is envisioned that novel treatment paradigms will be multi-modal and will need fast response gauging of tumor and systemic immune status, and will need to be designed according to dynamic evolution of immune response.
2:40 Rational Combination of Immune-Oncology Agents
Lei Zheng, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oncology and Surgery, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program, Tumor Immunology Program, Johns Hopkins University
Combination immunotherapies are being developed with goals to overcome the resistance to the single agent checkpoint inhibitors and to enhance the depth and durability of the response to the ICIs. The combination of vaccine and immune checkpoint inhibitors may overcome the resistance to the immune checkpoint inhibitors as a single agent treatment. Other treatment modalities including radiation therapy and certain chemotherapeutic agents may also prime the immune quiescent tumors if immunogenic cell deaths can be induced by these treatment modalities. Immune modulators that target different aspects of T cell activation and exhaustion or target different cellular components are more likely synergized.
3:15 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
3:50 Versatile Strategy for Controlling the Specificity and Activity of Engineered T Cells
Chan Hyuk Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, KAIST
CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have generated unprecedented responses in patients with refractory B-cell malignancies. However, the inability to control the activity of this potent “live” drug has resulted in severe treatment related toxicities and the constraint in targeting more than one antigen have limited its general application. In this talk, I will discuss our recent research efforts on addressing these limitations of current CAR-T therapy.
4:20 Applying a High Content Imaging Assay Platform to Elucidate the Mechanism of Actions of Cancer Immunotherapy
Ming Lei, Senior Research Investigator II, Lead Discovery and Optimization, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Understanding the spatiotemporal regulation of immuno-cell signaling network by drug candidates is essential for developing new cancer immunotherapy, designing rational combinational therapies and to differentiate amongst existing therapies. Here we describe how to leverage high-content image analysis to provide new insights for I-O drug selection and optimization, and use novel integrated solutions for fast in-depth analysis of I-O drug mechanism of actions.
PANEL DISCUSSION
4:50 Immunotherapy – Where Do We Stand Currently?
Moderator:
Qingcong Lin, Ph.D., Vice President, Shenogen Pharma Group
Panelists:
Bertil Lindmark, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals
Lei Zheng, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oncology and Surgery, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program, Tumor Immunology Program, Johns Hopkins University
Hongtao Lu, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Scientific Research, Zai Lab, Inc.
- Immunotherapy current status, in metastatic melanoma and other solid tumors: Where do we stand currently?
- In addition to CTLA4, PD1, PDL1, what others have great potential, such as CD28, CD40CD40L, OX40/OX40L, 4-1BB/4-1BBL, CD27/CD70, LAG3, TIM3 and additional B7 molecules
- What are the major mechanisms for immunotherapy, macrophages, T cells, monocytes or dendritic cells?
- Combination approaches for immunotherapy, which combinations will make best sense? mAb/mAb and mAb/IDOi
- Toxicity will be a potential issue for combination immunotherapy, how could we select patients to minimize the adverse events, do we have good biomarkers in place?
- The in vivo and in vitro efficacy tests have been one of key issues for immunotherapy candidate selection, what models we need to develop for solving the issue?
- The potentials, strategies, and potential issues of oncolytical virus, CART, CD3 based bi-specific antibody, and small molecule immunomodulator technology
- The future of immunotherapy in oncology, what’s currently on the horizon?
5:50 Close of Day Two
THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017
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8:30 Morning Coffee
8:50 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Jinming Gu, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biologics Discovery, Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
9:00 Beyond PD-1: Challenge and Opportunity in Immuno-Oncology
Hongtao Lu, Ph.D., Executive Vice President & CSO, Discovery, Zai Laboratory
9:30 A Broad Approach for the Selection of Therapeutic mAbs to TNFR-Superfamily Members
Andy Tsun, D. Phil., Associate Director, Biologics Discovery, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd.
The rise of therapeutic antibodies towards T cell checkpoint inhibitors has paved the way to a novel and exciting frontier of cancer treatments. Spearheaded by anti-CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors, many investigators have strived to uncover combinatory therapies that could synergize with CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors to improve the overall survival of cancer patients. The TNFR-superfamily has been seen as an ideal combinatory target in providing co-stimulatory T cell signals in sync with unleashing T cells from their CTLA-4 and PD-1 brakes. The ideal outcome of these combinations is the induction of T cell memory and effector function towards tumour cells.
Current clinical-stage agents against TNFR-superfamily targets include conventional or Fc-engineered therapeutic antibodies and multimeric ligands that aim to cluster and activate targets such as OX40, 4-1BB, GITR, and CD27. For OX40 and GITR, wildtype IgG1 variants offer target cell depletion of OX40/GITR-high expressing Treg cells, and also provide agonism through FcgR-mediated crosslinking. We have taken the approach of utilizing IgG1, IgG2, Fc-engineered and multimeric antibodies to select for potent therapeutic antibody candidates to TNFR-superfamily targets, and conducted humanized mouse studies as a screen for candidate potency.
10:00 Consistent Antibody Quality & Glycosylation Patterns Support MaxCyte's Transfection for Biotherapeutic Development
Weili Wang, Ph.D., Director, Cell Culture, MaxCyte
Companies are turning to transient production of antibodies during early development to delay stable cell line generation, accelerate timelines, and reduce costs. We present data showing the gram-scale production of quality antibodies via transient expression, as well as analytical data comparing transiently and stably produced proteins that demonstrates the transiently produced proteins mimic product qualities of stably produced proteins.Long-term titer and protein quality data for stable clones generated via MaxCyte electroporation are presented.
10:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
11:00 Targeted Delivery of Immunomodulators to Change Tumor Microenvironment
Ting Xu, Ph.D., CEO & President, AlphaMab Co.
A stable antibody-IL10 fusion molecule has been generated based on heterodimeric Fc scaffold. The molecule had been purified to high purity, retaining good antigen binding and IL10 activity. Comparing with IL10, the in vivo half-life has been improved to ~40hrs. The efficacy of the fusion protein has been tested in syngenic mouse tumor model. The fusion molecule induced tumor regression in mAb resistant tumor. Meanwhile, strong synergistic effect has been demonstrated with radio therapy. A preliminary study shows that targeted delivery of IL10 stimulated the expansion of established CD8+ CTL. Based on the results, CMC and IND enabling study of the fusion have been initiated and FIM is scheduled in Q1 of 2018.
11:30 The Design and Development of Novel Biologics for Cancer Immunotherapies
Jinming Gu, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biologics Discovery, Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Cancer immunotherapies have brought hope to many cancer patients worldwide, who have failed traditional chemo- and/or targeted therapies. While showing promise in the clinics, the current limitation of anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-1 therapies is low response rate and high toxicity. Next generation cancer immunotherapies will focus on combination therapies. Bispecific antibodies offer a number of exciting opportunities. This presentation will cover a few late stage pre-clinical bispecific programs for cancer immunotherapies.
12:00 Late Breaking Presentation
12:30 Networking Lunch in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
1:45 Chairperson’s Remarks
Ting Xu, Ph.D., CEO & President, AlphaMab Co.
1:50 Improving the Efficacy of Immuno-Checkpoint Inhibitor through Target Mediated Antibody Recycling and Combination Interventions
Xueming Qian, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO, MabSpace Biosciences (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
Checkpoint inhibition is a promising approach with durable responses. However, the depth of the responses is influenced by the number of activated T cells present, the amount and time of antibody staying in the tumor and the presence of immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. We developed a PD-L1 antibody with target mediated recycling. The in vivo activity of this antibody alone or in combination with antibodies targeting tumor microenvironment will be presented.
2:20 Screening PD1 Inhibitors and Beyond
Bo Chen, Ph.D., CEO, Shanghai Junshi
2:50 Selection of Fc for Antibody Therapeutics to Achieve Optimal Antitumor Immunomodulating Activity
Jieyi Wang, Ph.D., CEO, Lyvgen Biopharma
Therapeutic antibodies have become important biologics for cancer immunotherapy. Their modes of action not only rely on variable domains responsible for specificity but also involve the constant domains that can interact with various Fc receptors. Blocking antibodies such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab were successfully developed in the clinic as IgG4 molecules. However, it is not clear what IgG isotypes would be optimal for agonist antibodies that are required to activate co-stimulatory targets such as CD40, OX40, CD27, CD137, GITR, ICOS and HVEM.
3:20 Novel Bispecific Antibody Technology for Cancer Immunotherapeutics
Chengbin Wu, Ph.D., CEO, Epimab
3:50 Developing Biologics for Patients
Guoqing Cao, Ph.D., Vice President, Jiangsu Hengrui
4:20 Close of Conference
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