Explore the Agenda

7:30 am Check-In Opens & Light Breakfast

Workshop A

8:30 am Enhancing Durability by Overcoming Resistance & T-Cell Exhaustion for Longer-Lasting & more Effective Therapeutics

Group Leader, Bispecific Antibody Research, Philochem
Group Leader, Antibody Therapeutics, Philochem

Achieving sustained, long-lasting responses remains one of the most pressing challenges in T-cell engager development, with resistance and T-cell exhaustion frequently limiting clinical durability. This workshop will explore

how these mechanisms arise and how the field can move towards long-term efficacy.

  • Delving into resistance mechanisms, including antigen loss, tumour heterogeneity and checkpoint upregulation, to predict and prevent patient relapse
  • Uncovering how continuous T-cell activation leads to exhaustion and identifying practical approaches from dosing holidays to combination strategies for restoring T-cell fitness
  • Assessing the potential of T-cell fitness biomarkers in predicting responsiveness, stratifying patients, and guiding treatment regimens

10:30 am Morning Break & Networking

Workshop B

11:00 am Overcoming On-Target/Off-Tissue Toxicities by Improving Selectivity with Next Generation TCE Engineering

Director, Oncology Biologics Innovation, GSK
Director, Oncology Biologics Pipeline, GSK

Given that many tumour-associated antigens are also expressed on healthy tissues, on-target/off-tissue toxicity remains a significant challenge for TCE therapies. This workshop will explore next-generation engineering strategies that are reshaping TCE design to enhance selectivity and enable safer targeting of difficult antigens.

  • Incorporating costimulatory domains and conditional activation systems to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimising systemic toxicit
  • Evaluating avidity-based engineering and multi-targeting strategies to achieve greater tumour selectivity and reduce engagement with healthy tissues
  • Assessing the practical challenges of each engineering approach including manufacturing complexity, scalability, immunogenicity risk, and preclinicalto-clinical translation

1:00 pm Lunch & Networking

Workshop C

2:00 pm Translating TCE Learnings from Oncology to Autoimmune Diseases to Widen the Landscape of Treatable Patients

Senior Director, Clinical Development, Immunology, AstraZeneca
Associate Director - Immunology Safety, AstraZeneca
Vice President & Head, Research, Synolo Therapeutics

T-cell engagers have transformed the treatment of hematological malignancies, and growing interest is now directed toward applying these platforms to autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases. This transition to chronic, non-life-threatening conditions fundamentally alters the risk-benefit calculus and raises critical questions about safety expectations, preclinical development, and dose selection.

  • Assessing which aspects of TCE design can be directly applied from oncology to autoimmune settings and which formats must be re-engineered to optimise potency and affinity
  • Reframing safety expectations in autoimmune TCEs by evaluating why oncology-derived risk-benefit frameworks are insufficient, highlighting gaps in preclinical models and aligning with evolving regulatory expectations for safer development
  • Translating oncology learnings to inform study design, dose selection, risk–benefit assessment and operational considerations for TCE development in autoimmune indications

4:00 pm End of Pre-Conference Workshop Day