2016 Agenda

Human Microbiome: Exploring the Promise of the Enteric Environment

As we endeavor to unlock the mystery of the human microbiome, we draw closer to the root of many illnesses. This year, the White House launched the National Microbiome Initiative, bringing even more attention to this expanding area. Companies are racing to explore ways to manipulate the trillions of symbiotic microbes in our ‘enteric nervous system’ in order to fight a wide range of afflictions – from modifying the microbial environment to developing genetically engineered bacteria. Roughly two-thirds of the body’s immune system is located in the gut and the microbiome is integral the body’s ability to protect itself from infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases, heart disease, asthma and infections of the lungs, among other illnesses. Studies of the gut-brain axis have also shown that neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, MS, autism, depression and anxiety are strongly connected to changes of the microbiome. Experts in the human microbiome will provide insights and discuss the enormous challenges and possibilities associated with this exciting field.

Moderator: Keith A. Bostian, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE)

• Dario A. Gutierrez, PhD, Immuno-biology Lead, Merck Research Labs- Cambridge Exploratory Science Center
• Bernat Olle, PhD, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Biosciences
• Kathryn Stein, PhD, Principal, Kathryn Stein Consulting (Former Director, Division of Monoclonal Antibodies, FDA)
• Geoffrey von Maltzahn, PhD, Partner, Flagship VentureLabs

Immuno-Oncology: Cracking the Code of Personalized Medicine
Immuno-oncology therapies continue to revolutionize treatment for some of the most difficult to treat cancers including metastatic kidney cancer, metastatic melanoma, and lung cancer, among others. Sustainable results with a significantly extended survival duration has become a realistic expectation for a growing fraction of patients. Immuno-therapies show even greater promise when combined with each other, or with conventional or targeted therapies. And yet not all patients respond equally, and some don’t respond at all. How can doctors predict which therapies will be effective for which patients? This panel will explore current efforts in the development of new immuno-therapies and companion diagnostics, and the role that “big data” will play in helping researchers and clinicians select and combine the best possible therapies in clinically relevant time frames.

Moderator: Todd Haim, PhD, Program Director, SBIR Development Center, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

• Jeffrey M. Bockman, PhD, Vice President, Defined Health
• Kenneth Emancipator, MD, Executive Medical Director and Head, Companion Diagnostics, Merck Research Laboratories
• William G Hearl, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc.
• Anton Xavier, MS, MBA, NY/NYC Biotech Scout, Targeted Therapeutics Discovery, Pfizer WRD

Regenerative Medicine: Will iPS Cells Deliver As Promised?
Stem cell therapy makes up the largest part of the regenerative medicine market – with hundreds of clinical trials around the world. Researchers are endeavoring to restore brain function in patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases via stem cell transplants of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells harvested from the patient’s own skin. Using cells from the patient reduces the risk of the body rejecting the transplant. Like embryonic stem cells – but without the ethical issues that came along with them – iPS cells are able to create any cell in a body by a process called differentiation. But to persuade iPS cells into the required cell type, scientists have to create an ideal environment and combination of molecules to add to the stem cells in order to properly support differentiation. These iPS cells are being developed into replacement neurons, engineered into healthy brain tissue and as replacement muscle for a damaged heart, but time will tell if these transplant options will be completely safe and as effective as is hoped. Join our panel of experts as they discuss the most recent improvements and future possibilities in this field.

Moderator: Stephen Chang, MD, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, The New York Stem Cell Foundation

• Hina W. Chaudhry, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• Stefan Irion, MD, Program Manager, New York State Stem Cell Science Consortia, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Douglas W. Losordo, MD, FACC, FAHA, Senior Vice President, Clinical, Medical and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Caladrius Biosciences
• Stephen H. Tsang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Pathology & Cell Biology, László Bitó Associate Professor in Ophthalmology, Columbia University

Strategic Partner Presentations

• National Institutes of Health
• AstraZeneca/MedImmune
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Merck