Discovery & Development US 2026
Hilton San Diego Bayfront, CA
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Programme
Day
High Throughput Screening
Industry PresentationThe Power Of Partnerships: Aligning Pharma, Biotech, And Academia To Accelerate Development & Innovation
Panel Discussion• Bridging cultures and goals
• Shared resources and expertise
• Accelerating translation
• How partnerships can streamline moving discoveries from the lab to clinical development and market
Chemical Space Generation, Exploration & Visualization
Industry PresentationBreaking The First In Class Barrier In Small Molecule Drug Discovery
Industry PresentationThe Target Validation Frontier: Multi-Omics And AI In Drug Discovery
Panel Discussion• Standardization and integration of omics datasets across platforms and labs
• Balancing computational predictions with experimental validation
• Challenges in scaling multi-omics for high-throughput target ID
• Regulatory considerations for omics-informed drug development
• Where AI fits in multi-omics pipelines
Foundation Models For Chemistry: A New Paradigm In Hit Discovery And Lead Optimization
Industry PresentationSolving The Right Problems – Finding AI’s Value In Drug Discovery
Panel Discussion• How to use AI/ML to solve drug discovery problems
• Success metrics
• Overcoming validation hurdles
CNS Drug Repurposing Using AI/ML Frameworks
Industry PresentationDelivering Therapies Across The Blood-Brain Barrier
Panel Discussion• Developing optimized BBB models for drug discovery
• Predicting future
• Recent technological advancements & platforms
• Challenges and unities for the delivery of biopharmaceuticals
• Using nasal to brain route
Novel Hit Identification Techniques
Industry PresentationTechnological Advancements For The Discovery Of New Targets
Industry PresentationDiscovery Of Orally Efficacious Inhibitors Of A Viral Macrodomain
Industry PresentationMacrodomains are previously undrugged ADP-ribosylhydrolases
Standard cell models of infection are not useful for screening/ranking macrodomain inhibitors
Airway organoid and primary macrophage models proved more sensitive to macrodomain inhibitors
The discovery of the first orally efficacious SARS-CoV2 macrodomain inhibitor AVI-6451 will be detailed
Introduction To Astellas’s TPD Strategy & Updates To The Pipeline
Industry PresentationPushing The Boundaries Of Target Discovery In 2026 & Beyond – New Technologies, Approaches, Industry Directions
Panel Discussion• The evolution of modalities
• When to pursue small molecules, ADCs, protein degraders, RNA modalities, or multi-modal approaches
Applications Of High-Throughput Data Collection In AI/ML
Industry PresentationMulticellular Perturbation Models For Drug Discovery
Industry Presentation• AI architecture for virtual clinical trials and phenotypic in silico drug discovery
• Building TRAILBLAZER, the first AI foundation model built specifically for multicellular biology, capable of simulating patient-level treatment outcomes
• Case studies of phenotypic in silico drug discovery and modeling multicellular patient responses to treatments
Generative AI-Guided Selections for GPCR Antibody Discovery
Industry PresentationIntegrating Human-Centric Biology, AI, & New Approach Methodologies For Phase 1 Clinical Trials
Industry PresentationThe Degrader & Glue Landscape In 2026
Industry PresentationNovel Models For ADME-Tox Research
Industry PresentationAdvancing Multimodal Omics Data In Drug Discovery
Industry PresentationAI In Drug Discovery
Industry PresentationScaling Chemical Space: AI-Driven Paradigm Shift In Target And Hit Discovery
Industry PresentationFrom Screening to Pharmacology: Optimization of Molecular Glue Degraders
Industry PresentationWhere Smart Capital Meets Science: Investing In The Next Wave Of Drug Discovery Innovation
Panel Discussion• How investors evaluate emerging drug discovery technologies
o AI in drug discovery
• What drives funding decisions in a shifting biotech market
• Where capital is flowing next
• How investor are looking at non-dilutive founding
Lab Digitalization & AI
Industry PresentationBeyond The Hype: AI, Data & The Industry Shift In Drug Discovery R&D
Panel Discussion• How industry dynamics are reshaping pharma R&D strategy & decision-making
• Digital transformation, AI & data-driven labs of the future
• What leaders need to prioritize to turn innovation into real scientific & business impact
Challanges Of Adopting NAMs: Regulatory & Technical Bottlenecks
Roundtable Discussion• Navigating regulatory uncertainty, validation standards, and industry confidence when integrating NAMs into development pipelines
• Overcoming technical hurdles including model reproducibility, data translation, scalability, and cross-platform comparability
Hit Finding And Characterization In Covalent Drug Discovery
Industry PresentationStrategic application of complementary approaches for covalent hit finding in vitro and in cells
Chemoproteomics applications for hit characterization and determination of novel ligandable sites on targets of interest
Library considerations for covalent hit finding at Novartis
Women In Drug Discovery & Development
Panel Discussion• Exploring pathways to leadership, career progression, and influence for women across drug discovery and development organizations
• Addressing barriers to advancement while sharing strategies to foster mentorship, sponsorship, and greater diversity in scientific innovation and decision-making
Innovation to Impact: Market Strategies Driving the Next Wave of Drug Delivery Technologies
Panel Discussion• What actually defines a “successful” delivery innovation in the market?
• From lab breakthrough to commercial product: where do most strategies fail?
• Pharma vs biotech vs academia: who owns the pathway to market?
• Market access and reimbursement as the real gatekeepers of innovation
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationThe Use Of Quantum Mechanics In The Future Of Drug Discovery
Roundtable Discussion• Implementing AI to aid in generative design
• Looking to the future
Validation & Regulations For NAMs
Industry PresentationSponsor Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSubmission required
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationHow To Use NAMs
Panel Discussion• Organoids and organ-on-chip models
• In vitro disease modelling
• Toxicity and safety screening
• Disease biology
• PK/PD and toxicity modelling
• In silico models
• Implementation and application of NAMS
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSponsor Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSubmission required
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Industry PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationPartnerships, Platforms Or Acquisitions: What Is The Winning Model For Brain Health Innovation?
Panel Discussioncollaboration models that actually work
• When to partner vs acquire vs build internally
• Data-sharing in a competitive landscape
• Public-private partnerships in USA: success stories & failures
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationIntegrating AI/ML And Automation In Discovery Chemistry
Industry PresentationRegulatory Acceptance Of Human On A Chip Systems For Neurological Diseases And Conditions
Industry PresentationOrgan-On-Chip & Organoid Applications In Viral Infections
Industry PresentationAI/ML, Specializing In Omics & Systems Biology
Industry PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationThe Power Of Partnerships: Aligning Pharma, Biotech, And Academia To Accelerate Development & Innovation
Panel Discussion• Bridging cultures and goals
• Shared resources and expertise
• Accelerating translation
• How partnerships can streamline moving discoveries from the lab to clinical development and market
Small-Angle X-ray Scattering for Early Detection of High-Concentration Antibody Viscosity
Industry PresentationHT-SAXS predicts viscosity early: Low-q structure factor changes at ≤10 mg/mL reliably flag high-viscosity mAbs long before high-concentration testing is needed
More accurate than kD: SAXS structure factor upturn/downturn directly captures attractive vs repulsive interactions and outperforms kD in viscosity classification (100% vs 82% accuracy)
High-throughput, low sample demand: Automated SAXS enables rapid, scalable developability screening using minimal material, suitable for early discovery workflows
Multi-Agentic AI For Formulation & Late-Stage Preclinical Research
Industry PresentationDesign And Formulation Of Long Acting Entecavir Prodrugs For Improved Hepatitis B Treatment Adherence
Industry PresentationOverview Of The Challenges Of CMC
Industry PresentationWhy Formulations Fail — Lessons Learned Across Modalities
Panel Discussion• Common reasons for failure (e.g., stability, delivery barriers, patient compliance)
• Case studies: when a formulation didn’t meet expectations
• The role of biological barriers (e.g., blood-brain barrier, tissue penetration) in failure
• How early-stage decisions can set projects up for success or failure
• Creating a culture that shares failures constructively
Formulating Next-Gen Biotherapeutics: Strategies To Enhance Stability, Quality, And Scalability
Panel Discussion• Stabilising complex modalities
• Evaluating non-traditional formulation strategies — including lyophilisation, coformulation, microencapsulation, or amorphous systems
Machinability Of Spray Freeze-Dried Engineered Microparticles
Industry PresentationSpray freeze drying enables the production of highly porous engineered powders ideal for thermosensitive molecules, including biologic drugs. The process generates distinctive microstructures that strongly influence flowability, mechanical behavior, and downstream processability. This talk examines how particle architecture governs machinability, highlighting implications for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
RNAi Delivery, LPN, & Conjugate Approaches
Industry PresentationCan Oral Peptides Finally Replace Injections? From Breakthroughs To Biological Limits
Panel Discussion• Is oral delivery of peptides a solved engineering problem or a biological limit?
• What level of oral bioavailability is actually “good enough” for clinical success?
• Will oral GLP-1s redefine the market or remain niche alternatives?
Recent Advances To Improve Bioavailability: Permeability, Solubility
Industry PresentationFrom Formulation To Market: What Makes A Nasal Product Commercially Viable?
Panel DiscussionRecognize how unmet clinical needs and therapeutic advantages determine the commercial success of nasal drug products.
Evaluate the critical interplay between formulation, device design, patient usability, manufacturability, and cost in determining market adoption.
Apply regulatory, scalability, and differentiation considerations early in development to assess the commercial viability of nasal drug products.
Bio-inspired Fused-Core Ionizable Lipids Enable Efficient Endosomal Escape & mRNA Delivery
Industry Presentation• Novel fused bicyclic core-based lipids from renewable biomass outperform industry benchmarks in endosomal escape, protein expression, and antibody generation when used for delivering mRNA vaccines.
• Rational design and evaluation of 60+ lipids uncovered key design principles governing mRNA delivery efficiency and LNP thermostability
• With good manufacturability, superior thermostability, and robust protein expression, these lipids demonstrated great potential as next generation LNP components for the delivery of stable and scalable mRNA vaccines and therapeutics
Developing BBT-101 - A First-In-Class, Intranasal Formulation
Industry PresentationBalancing Biopharmaceutics, Stability & Manufacturability In LAI Suspension Formulation Design
Industry PresentationLow-Cost Production For Proteins & Internasal Delivery
Industry PresentationAI Driven Formulation For Small Molecules
Industry PresentationDealing With High Manufacturing And Product Costs In The Gene Therapy Space
Roundtable DiscussionFrom Oral to Inhaled: Lifecycle Delivery Strategies for Pulmonary Disease Therapeutics
Roundtable DiscussionWhen and why to consider alternative delivery routes as lifecycle extensions for oral drugs
Practical formulation, device, and regulatory considerations when repurposing a candidate for inhalation
Lessons learned and open questions across industry and academia
Unlocking AI/ML In Drug Delivery — Overcoming Data Quality & Access Barriers
Panel Discussion• What types of data are most valuable for formulation and delivery research?
• Current barriers: access, standardization, quality, and reproducibility
• Strategies for data sharing across pharma, biotech, and academia
• Case examples of successful AI/ML applications in drug delivery
• Building collaborations to create usable, high-quality datasets
Delivering Therapies Across The Blood-Brain Barrier
Panel Discussion• Developing optimized BBB models for drug discovery
• Predicting future
• Recent technological advancements & platforms
• Challenges and unities for the delivery of biopharmaceuticals
• Using nasal to brain route
Overcoming Formulation Challenges For Inhaled Biologics
Industry PresentationOligonucleotide Formulation, Design, & Delivery
Industry PresentationPeptide Engineering And Advances In ORALINK® Formulation For Oral Delivery Enhancement
Industry PresentationDeveloping Small Molecule Drugs To Mitigate Cisplatin Toxicities
Industry PresentationKeeping It Together: Understanding And Mitigating Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation In Biologics Formulations
Industry PresentationLiquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a critical development challenge in high-concentration protein formulations, driven by weak, reversible protein-protein interactions that can manifest as opalescence, viscosity changes, or visible phase separation.
Strategies to identify and characterize LLPS will be covered. Formulation composition, the primary means to control LLPS, can serve as both a diagnostic and mechanistic probe: strategic modulation of excipients can isolate the dominant interaction forces driving LLPS, allowing mechanism-specific characterization and targeted intervention.
Model-Informed Biopharmaceutics In Formulation Development
Industry PresentationCMC Considerations For Combination Products And Smart Delivery Systems
Industry PresentationBreaking The Bottleneck For Biologics & Small Molecules Drug Delivery
Panel Discussion• What makes oral delivery so attractive—and so difficult—for biologics/oligos?
• Novel approaches: nanoparticle carriers, permeation enhancers, and formulation tricks
• Case studies of progress (in oral biologics
• Balancing patient convenience vs. technical feasibility
• How AI/ML can help accelerate innovation
ABI-171: Exploring Inhaled Delivery As A Lifecycle Strategy For An Oral Anti-Fibrotic Drug In IPF
Industry PresentationOverview of ABI-171 as a novel oral anti-fibrotic therapeutic for IPF with orphan designation and preclinical proof of concept
Rationale for exploring inhaled/intranasal delivery as a lifecycle management strategy: direct pulmonary targeting, potential for reduced systemic exposure, and expanded therapeutic utility
Key formulation and delivery challenges in transitioning an oral candidate to an inhaled route and early learnings
Oral Inhalation Through Nebulizers
Industry PresentationDevelopment In Fever Launched Antibodies
Industry PresentationTranslational Nasal Drug Delivery Platforms for Targeted CNS Therapeutics
Industry PresentationDemystifying Foggin In Lyophilized Products
Industry PresentationThe talk would cover recent work aimed at establishing a mechanistic understanding of factors affecting fogging in freeze-dried products. While fogging is a routinely encountered cosmetic defect in freeze-dried formulations, it can potentially impact container closure integrity. Hence, vials with fogging above the shoulder and neck are often rejected during visual inspection. This, in-turn, can result in high batch reject rates during clinical and commercial manufacturing. The severity of fogging in lyophilized products is impacted by a varied range of factors. These can be broadly classified as: formulation composition, pharmaceutical processing conditions and primary packaging. Hence, a systematic study to investigate the influence of each of these factors on fogging enables a mechanistic understanding and consequently, the design of suitable mitigation strategies.
Utilizing Nanotechnology Approaches
Industry PresentationFormulation Strategies to Overcome Peptide Gelation During Lyophilization
Industry PresentationPeptide gelation complicates lyophilization scale-up by affecting primary drying rates and heat transfer. This case study examines gelation behavior of an investigational peptide and its impact during freeze-drying, showing how understanding this interplay enables robust, transferable lyophilization cycles. The findings offer practical solutions for advancing peptide therapeutics from lab to market.
AI & In Silico Tools In Formulation Development
Roundtable DiscussionOvercoming Challenges In RNA Delivery
Industry PresentationDesign Considerations For IV In-Use Studies To Support Clinical Administration
Industry PresentationA thoughtful design of in-use studies ensures drug stability and compatibility during dose preparation and clinical administration. An overview of study design considerations such as the regions and number of clinical sites and anticipated dose preparation and administration procedure is presented. A case study walks through an example of in-use studies to support an early phase program with clinical sites in multiple regions, weight-based dosing, and a switch from undiluted to diluted administration.
Inhaled Biologics & Oligonucleotides — Opportunities Beyond The Lungs
Panel Discussion• Technical barriers in formulating inhaled large molecules
• Advances in nasal-to-brain delivery and CNS targeting
• Device/formulation interplay: how inhaler design impacts delivery success
• Regulatory and safety considerations unique to inhaled biologics
• Sustainability considerations (propellants, greener formulations)
Novel Tumour Targeting Peptide Therapies
Industry PresentationInsights Into Successful Industry Clinical Collaborations
Industry Presentation• Why do we establish clinical collaborations with external companies?
• Industry Clinical Collaborations (ICC) at Roche
• Drugs combinations in ICC
• Successes & challenges with commercial drugs & novel combinations
Formulaiton & Delivery Challenges For Oral Peptides
Industry PresentationReimagining Abuse Deterrence Through Controlled-Release Engineering
Industry PresentationThe talk highlights innovation-oriented evaluation strategies, including stress-based dissolution testing, extraction resistance profiling, and kinetic descriptors such as partial area-under-the-curve (pAUC) to characterize early exposure behavior. These tools provide mechanistic insight into how formulation design choices translate into exposure profiles relevant to abuse liability assessment.
Inhaled Delivery Of Biologics
Industry PresentationHigh Dose, High Volume Biologics
Industry PresentationWhere Smart Capital Meets Science: Investing In The Next Wave Of Drug Discovery Innovation
Panel Discussion• How investors evaluate emerging drug discovery technologies
o AI in drug discovery
• What drives funding decisions in a shifting biotech market
• Where capital is flowing next
• How investor are looking at non-dilutive founding
Beyond The Hype: AI, Data & The Industry Shift In Drug Discovery R&D
Panel Discussion• How industry dynamics are reshaping pharma R&D strategy & decision-making
• Digital transformation, AI & data-driven labs of the future
• What leaders need to prioritize to turn innovation into real scientific & business impact
Title TBC
Industry PresentationProtein Stability: A Drug Delivery Formulation Challenge
Industry PresentationmRNA Importance
Industry PresentationProgramming Skeletal Muscle As A Bioreactor: A Platform For Durable In Vivo Delivery Of Therapeutic Proteins
Industry PresentationProgramming Skeletal Muscle As A Bioreactor – Building The Next Generation Of DNA-Encoded Medicines
Roundtable Discussion- Explore the potential of skeletal muscle as a programmable in vivo bioreactor for sustained therapeutic protein production
- Contrast non-viral DNA-based delivery with AAV gene therapy, including differences in payload flexibility, manufacturability, immune barriers, and repeat-dosing potential
- Discuss the therapeutic areas where durable, tunable protein expression could reshape the future of biologics, from rare diseases to chronic conditions and infectious disease countermeasures
Women In Drug Discovery & Development
Panel Discussion• Exploring pathways to leadership, career progression, and influence for women across drug discovery and development organizations
• Addressing barriers to advancement while sharing strategies to foster mentorship, sponsorship, and greater diversity in scientific innovation and decision-making
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationInnovation to Impact: Market Strategies Driving the Next Wave of Drug Delivery Technologies
Panel Discussion• What actually defines a “successful” delivery innovation in the market?
• From lab breakthrough to commercial product: where do most strategies fail?
• Pharma vs biotech vs academia: who owns the pathway to market?
• Market access and reimbursement as the real gatekeepers of innovation
Solution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationSolution Provider Presentation
Solution Provider PresentationPartnerships, Platforms Or Acquisitions: What Is The Winning Model For Brain Health Innovation?
Panel Discussioncollaboration models that actually work
• When to partner vs acquire vs build internally
• Data-sharing in a competitive landscape
• Public-private partnerships in USA: success stories & failures
Injectable & Sustainable Formulations For Oral Peptides
Roundtable Discussion• Overcoming bioavailability and stability challenges to enable effective oral peptide delivery through advanced injectable-to-oral formulation strategies
• Balancing patient convenience with sustainability by reducing waste, improving manufacturing efficiency, and designing greener peptide delivery systems
Critical Attributes For Successful mRNA Based Drug Products
Roundtable Discussion• What are critical elements for drug substance?
• What makes a good delivery system?
• How sustainable can mRNA-based drug products be?
The Power Of Partnerships: Aligning Pharma, Biotech, And Academia To Accelerate Development & Innovation
Panel Discussion• Bridging cultures and goals
• Shared resources and expertise
• Accelerating translation
• How partnerships can streamline moving discoveries from the lab to clinical development and market
Novel Neuro-Immunological Targets
Industry PresentationCNS Drug Discovery Case Study
Industry PresentationDevelopment Of Small Molecule Huntington’s Disease Therapeutics With A Novel Mechanism Of Action
Industry Presentation• Hit identification in a phenotypic screen
• Demonstration of selective degradation of mutant huntingtin and cellular disease phenotype reversal
• PK/PD relationship in preclinical mouse models
Development Of Novel Therapeutic Drugs For Neurodegenerative Diseases
Industry PresentationSmall Molecules To Mitigate Cisplatin Toxicities Including Hearing Loss
Industry PresentationDelivering Therapies Across The Blood-Brain Barrier
Panel Discussion• Developing optimized BBB models for drug discovery
• Predicting future
• Recent technological advancements & platforms
• Challenges and unities for the delivery of biopharmaceuticals
• Using nasal to brain route
Targeted, Long-Term Durability & Release
Industry PresentationReinventing CNS Drug Discovery With AI And Human Brain Organoids
Industry PresentationUnderstanding The Role Of AI & Data In Neuroscience Research
Industry PresentationGenomics Technologies For Neurological Indications
Industry PresentationTransformative Gene Therapies For Treating Rare Diseases Using A Novel Plant-Based Manufacturing
Industry PresentationWhere Smart Capital Meets Science: Investing In The Next Wave Of Drug Discovery Innovation
Panel Discussion• How investors evaluate emerging drug discovery technologies
o AI in drug discovery
• What drives funding decisions in a shifting biotech market
• Where capital is flowing next
• How investor are looking at non-dilutive founding
Beyond The Hype: AI, Data & The Industry Shift In Drug Discovery R&D
Panel Discussion• How industry dynamics are reshaping pharma R&D strategy & decision-making
• Digital transformation, AI & data-driven labs of the future
• What leaders need to prioritize to turn innovation into real scientific & business impact
Women In Drug Discovery & Development
Panel Discussion• Exploring pathways to leadership, career progression, and influence for women across drug discovery and development organizations
• Addressing barriers to advancement while sharing strategies to foster mentorship, sponsorship, and greater diversity in scientific innovation and decision-making
Innovation to Impact: Market Strategies Driving the Next Wave of Drug Delivery Technologies
Panel Discussion• What actually defines a “successful” delivery innovation in the market?
• From lab breakthrough to commercial product: where do most strategies fail?
• Pharma vs biotech vs academia: who owns the pathway to market?
• Market access and reimbursement as the real gatekeepers of innovation
New Data Tools For Taking Biomarkers To Clinical Trials
Industry PresentationPartnerships, Platforms Or Acquisitions: What Is The Winning Model For Brain Health Innovation?
Panel Discussioncollaboration models that actually work
• When to partner vs acquire vs build internally
• Data-sharing in a competitive landscape
• Public-private partnerships in USA: success stories & failures
Bridging The Translational Gap In Neurodegenerative Drug Development
Panel Discussion• Building more predictive preclinical programs using human-relevant models and biomarkers
• Leveraging AI to improve target prioritization, patient stratification, and clinical trial design
• Overcoming the biggest barriers to translating promising discoveries into clinical success
• What recent neuroscience programs have taught us about reducing late-stage attrition
Single-Cell And Spatial Omics Approaches For Functional Genomics In Neuroscience
Industry PresentationAI Rewiring The Future Of Drug Discovery
Industry Presentation• Taking a deep dive into generative AI for molecular design to illustrate individual methods that have transformative implications
• Putting it all together – active learning and multi-property optimisation for multiple drug properties
• Using AI to integrate early and late-stage considerations – agentic AI approaches
• How do we collaborate across the industry to develop these frameworks?
Afternoon Break & Refreshments
Lunch Break
Morning Break & Refreshments
Close of Day One & Networking Drinks Reception
Lunch Break
End of Event
Morning Break & Refreshments
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