Conference Day One
8:00 am Morning Coffee & Check-In
8:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Overview of T-Cell Engagers & the Transition from Oncology & CAR-T Therapy to Autoimmune Disease & T-Cell Engagers
9:00 am Overviewing T-Cell Engager Success in Autoimmunity & Taking Learnings From Oncology For Efficacy, Safety & Smarter Design
Synopsis
- Gaining a high-level overview of the current TCE pipeline in autoimmunity, including lessons learned from oncology programs and key distinctions in target biology and patient needs
- Exploring how biotech and pharmaceutical companies are repurposing or adapting B-cell and plasma-cell depleting assets originally built for oncology for use in RA, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases
- Investigating real-world efficacy and safety data from early clinical and preclinical programs (e.g., blinatumomab, teclistamab) to assess how well TCEs are performing against the higher bar of autoimmune disease
- Evaluate design principles driving optimal performance in autoimmunity, from affinity tuning and half-life engineering to format selection and target prioritization (CD19, CD20, CD38, BCMA, etc.)
9:30 am Affirming the Practical Edge of T-Cell Engagers Over CAR-Ts in Autoimmune Indications
Synopsis
- Highlighting how T-cell engagers eliminate the time, complexity, and infrastructure burden of autologous CAR-T therapies, offering a plug-and-play treatment modality that’s immediately available at the bedside
- Unpacking the operational and clinical risks of CAR-T (e.g. ICU admissions, lymphodepletion, secondary malignancy risk) and contrasting them with the more controlled, predictable, and scalable safety profile of TCEs
- Discussing why the economic and logistical footprint of CAR-T is poorly suited to large autoimmune populations, and how TCEs unlock the potential for broader patient access without compromising potency
10:00 am Morning Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
The perfect opportunity to kickstart new connections in this speed networking session designed to help you meet a high volume of fellow cell engager experts, exchange insights, and set the stage for deeper conversations throughout the summit.
11:00 am Panel Discussion: TCEs vs Cell Therapy: Comparing the Pros & Cons to Build Smarter Pipelines with the Right Modality for the Right Target
Synopsis
As T-cell engagers (TCEs) rapidly emerge from oncology into the autoimmune space, the field is facing a crucial inflection point: how do TCEs stack up against T-cell therapies in terms of specificity, efficacy, and durability? This panel brings together leading voices spanning TCE and cell therapy modalities to debate how these technologies co-exist, compete, or converge. The conversation will also explore how companies are strategically selecting antigens and indications, and designing pipelines that balance scientific ambition with clinical practicality.
Our expert panelists will:
- Compare the pros and cons of TCEs and engineered cell therapies in autoimmune diseases and their mechanistic strengths
- Discuss how to target the right antigens with the right modality: designing pipelines that align antigen biology with the optimal therapeutic platform
- Debate how durability of response and immune reprogramming differ between modalities, and whether one can truly replace the other
- Strategize how to build a future-proof autoimmune pipeline with complementary or competitive assets across modalities
11:45 am Panel Discussion: Insight into Pharma’s Strategic Priorities & Data Wish List for Next Generation Engagers
Synopsis
- Which pharma are prioritizing engagers in immunology versus oncology, or moving in parallel into the clinic across both disease areas?
- What are the starting points, from a data package perspective, when it comes to assessing engagers?
- Uncovering key competitive differentiators prioritized in search and evaluation processes to drive deal-making and partnership decisions
12:30 pm Lunch Break
1:30 pm AnTenGager: Emerging Novel Second Generation TCE with Better Safety & Efficacy – Masking Technologies via Steric Hindrance
Synopsis
- DAA bivalent binding for deeper depletions of the targeT-Cells
- Steric hindrance-based masking and DAA- gated CD3+ T-Cell activation
- Novel CD3 DE/EG binder with fast on/fast off binding kinetics
Reimagining B Cell Depletion by Engineering Deeper, Safer, & Longer-Lasting Autoimmune Remissions
2:00 pm Engineering Deep & Durable B Cell Depletion in Autoimmune Disease: Translating T-Cell Engager Candidates Beyond Oncology
Synopsis
- Introducing cizutamig and CND261, a BCMAxCD3 and CD20xCD3 bispecific T-Cell engager, respectively. Both were originally developed in oncology and are now advancing into autoimmune disease
- Discussing what is known and unknown on targeting different B cell antigens (e.g. BCMA, CD19, CD20) to maximize clinical benefit in autoimmune diseases
- Sharing views on different product profiles with TCEs beyond just immune reset
2:30 pm Evaluating B-Cell Depletion Strategies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) with Innovative Humanized Mouse Models
Synopsis
- How T-cell engagers and CAR-T therapies are currently shaping autoimmune disease treatment
- Understanding obstacles of B-cell depletion strategies in preclinical drug discovery and pharmacology
- Optimizing preclinical model selection and overcoming challenges in evaluating B-cell therapies for SLE
3:00 pm Afternoon Break & Poster Session
Synopsis
The ideal opportunity to get face-to-face with many of the brightest minds in TCEs for Autoimmune Disease
4:00 pm Using A Dual-Target TCE Strategy to Eliminate BCMA+ & CD19+ Pathogenic Cells
Synopsis
- Presenting the scientific basis and emerging literature supporting the depletion of both plasma cells and memory B cells to achieve more complete and lasting immunomodulation.
- Understanding which B cell subsets drive pathology and how to measure depletion effectiveness
- Leveraging Preclinical & Translational Models to Evaluate Safety and Predict Toxicity Risks – Discussing the tools and models Aditum Bio is using to anticipate cytokine release, on-target off-tissue effects, and other safety challenges associated with dual B cell targeting TCEs.
4:30 pm Reprogramming Autoimmunity Through Selective B Cell Depletion with T-Cell Engagers
Synopsis
- Understanding target expression of BCMA in the context of autoimmune diseases
- Targeting long-lived, autoreactive B cells with OM336 to induce a selective and durable immune reset
- Characterizing immune reconstitution post-depletion to distinguish pathogenic memory B cell recovery from protective naive repopulation
- Understanding dynamics of response to BCMA-targeted therapy vs CD19-targeted therapy
Taking Learnings from CAR-T Therapies & Moving On to T-Cell Engagers in Autoimmunity
5:00 pm Roundtable Discussion: Taking Learnings from CAR-T Therapies & Moving On to T-Cell Engagers in Autoimmunity to Leverage Improved Safety, Efficacy, & Reduced CRS
Synopsis
- Translating precision targeting from CAR-T to TCEs for safer autoimmune therapies. Exploring how the antigen specificity and conditional activation lessons from CAR-Ts can be applied to TCE design to minimize off-target effects and reduce immunerelated toxicities in non-malignant settings
- Designing TCEs to mimic CAR-T persistence by discussing strategies to optimize TCE half-life and tissue distribution for durable disease control without the prolonged and potential unpredictable persistence risks associated with CAR-T in autoimmune patients
- Minimizing CRS in non-oncology indications by comparing the incidence and management of CRS in CAR-T vs. TCE approaches and highlighting how affinity tuning, dose fractionation, and masking technologies from CAR-T development are informing safer TCE constructs
- Reimagining patient access: Contrast the logistical and cost-intensive nature of CAR-T with the potential of TCEs as off-the-shelf, subcutaneously administered, or outpatient-suitable therapies, broadening access to autoimmune patients globally