BUZZ Sessions

FACILITATED, SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSIONS. INTERACTIVE PARTICIPATION LEADS TO PROBLEM-SOLVING SOLUTIONS AND FUTURE COLLABORATIONS AROUND FOCUSED TOPICS.

What’s the BuzZ about?

PepTalk’s BuzZ Sessions are focused, stimulating discussions in which delegates discuss important and interesting topics related to upstream protein expression and production through downstream scale-up and manufacturing. This is a moderated discussion with brainstorming and interactive problem-solving between scientists from diverse areas who share a common interest in the discussion topic.

These are forums for open discussion of protein-related challenges, and not sales opportunities. We emphasize that these breakout groups are for interactive discussions among scientists and are not meant to be, in any way, a corporate or product discussion. Topics can be limited to one protein area or may address issues which cross over the borders between pipeline conference topics. Moderators should be well-versed in the topic area and able to keep the discussion focused and productive. BuzZ Sessions are IN-PERSON ONLY.

If you are interested in moderating a breakout group, contact Mary Ann Brown at mabrown@healthtech.com


BUzZ SESSIONS

Monday, January 16, 3:15 - 4:30 PM

INTELLIGENT ANTIBODY DISCOVERY PART ONE

BuzZ Table 1: Deep Profiling of Ab Sequence-function Relationships by Deep Sequencing
Host: Timothy A. Whitehead, PhD, Associate Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Specificity profiling.  
  • Analysis of affinity and specificity in complete antibody repertoires
  • Rapid and fine paratope profiling

BuzZ Table 8: Implementation Challenges for Machine Learning as a Tool for Antibody Discovery
Host: Christopher Negron, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, AbbVie, Inc.

  • Current successes
  • Experimental validation and POC
  • Bottlenecks and challenges
  • Needs from IT and solution providers

CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOTHERAPEUTICS

BuzZ Table 2: Beyond Injectable mAb Drug Products
Host: Christopher Mensch, Director, Drug Product, IGM Biosciences, Inc.

  • Delivery Technologies for New Routes  
  • Dosage Form & Formulation Considerations 
  • Analytical Characterization

CELL THERAPY ANALYTICS & MANUFACTURING

BuzZ Table 3: Cell Therapy Drug Product Development
Host: Bharathi Vellalore, PhD, Senior Scientist, Biotherapeutics Drug Product Development, Janssen

  • Process considerations for manufacturing autologous and allogeneic cell therapy products
  • Drug product considerations for hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications
  • Clinical vs commercial supply chain needs: Integrated drug product design

BuzZ Table 7: Cell Therapy Process Development
Host: Kelly Kemp, PhD, Senior Director CMC, ViaCyte, Inc.

  • Selection of raw materials
  • Increasing cell yields  
  • Demonstrating comparability​

CELL LINE ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT

BuzZ Table 4: Combining the Benefits of Academia and Industry: Get the Best of Both Worlds
Host: Bjørn Voldborg, MSc, Head, National Biologics Facility, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark

  • How to raise awareness at both ends?
  • How to start-up?
  • What are the needs?
  • Funding and pricing/who will pay?
  • Limitations?

HIGHER-THROUGHPUT BIOPRODUCTION

BuzZ Table 5: High Throughput—Multiplexed Technologies to Characterize Protein Interaction
Host: Peter Bell, PhD, Senior Director Assay & Platform Development
Host: Rebecca Cook, PhD, Research Scientist II, INanoBio

  • Comparative methods for study of protein interactions—Pros/Cons
  • Challenges in expression of functional proteins for protein interactions
  • Screening of hundreds to thousands of protein interactions in parallel
  • Antibody screening against large panels of targets or variants—affinity, specificity
  • Detection methods—discussion of readouts—MS, SPR, fluorescence, reporter assays which are best?

BuzZ Table 6: Targeted Supplementation to Improve Protein Titer and Quality in CHO Cells
Host: Natalie McAdams, PhD, Manager Cell Biology, BioProduction R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific

  • How can supplements be applied to a bioproduction process to boost protein titer?
  • What process parameters and supplements can impact protein quality?
  • Lessons learned – what process parameters or supplements can have a negative impact on performance?

Friday, January 20, 8:00 - 9:00 AM

ADVANCED PURIFICATION AND RECOVERY

BuzZ Table 1: Purification Workflows to Support Protein Engineering
Host: Jeremy King, PhD, Senior Scientist, Amgen, Inc.

  • Miniaturization strategies are needed to explore large sequence space
  • Novel analytical techniques can distinguish good and bad molecules
  • High-throughput purification strategies are needed to isolate correct variants from mixtures 
  • High-throughput non-antibody molecule purification strategies are lagging behind antibody platforms​

BuzZ Table 2: Scalable Non-Protein A Affinity Purification Alternatives to Bridge Research and Manufacturing
Host: David W. Wood, Ph.D., Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University

  • Laboratory scale affinity methods are effective and diverse, but are not generally considered scalable
  • Development of new therapeutics might be streamlined by methods than can merge research and production
  • What laboratory affinity methods could be scaled for manufacturing, and under what conditions?
  • What are the primary hurdles for developing new non-Protein A affinity platforms clinical use?​

CHARACTERIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES

BuzZ Table 3: High Capacity Chromatography Material for Virus Purification
Host: Alois Jungbauer, PhD, Professor & Head, Biotechnology, Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)

  • Diffusion limitation of existing material
  • How to meet selectivity and capacity
  • Single vs multiple use

CREATIVE PROTEIN ENGINEERING

BuzZ Table 4: VHH: Challenges & Opportunities
Host: Andre Teixeira, PhD, Scientist, Specifica, Inc.

  • Main challenges during VHH development
  • Are they easier to develop than regular antibodies?
  • Where and when should we use them
  • Can they ever replace IgG?

OPTIMIZING WORKFLOWS IN PROTEIN PRODUCTION LABORATORIES

BuzZ Table 5: Common Issues with Transient Protein Production
Host: Hosts: Richard Altman, MS, Field Application Scientist, Protein Expression, Biosciences Division, Life Sciences Solutions Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Host: Henry C. Chiou, PhD, Senior Director, Cell Biology, Life Science Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Host: Dominic Esposito, PhD, Director, Protein Expression Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

  • What are the current challenges to transient protein production?
  • How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your workflow and productivity?
  • How do we optimize the whole protein expression workflow process?
  • How can we maintain volumetric yields while scaling transient expression up or down?
  • What cell line(s) should we use and when?
  • What parameters can impact the quality or physical attributes of transiently produced proteins?

SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF BISPECIFIC ANTIBODIES, ADCs, AND COMBINATION THERAPY

BuzZ Table 6: Bispecific Antibodies from Bench to the Clinic
Host: Priya Hays, PhD, Technical Writer, Science Writer, Hays Documentation Specialists, LLC

  • Clinical Development and Efficacy of BiTEs and BCMAs in Hematological Malignancies
  • Immune Related Adverse Events
  • Beyond CD3-CD19 Epitopes: Dual Affinity BsAbs and Tandem Diabodies
  • Combination and Sequential Therapies

BuzZ Table 7: The Challenges and Opportunities for Treating Low HER2 Expressing Cancers
Host: Rakesh Dixit, PhD, President & CEO, Bionavigen
Host: Robert J. Lutz, PhD, CSO, Iksuda Therapeutics

  • Challenges of developing effective therapies against low HER2- cancers
  • Unprecedented activity of Enhertu ( Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, a HER2 Targeting ADC in low HER2 breast cancer, ASCO recognition and FDA approval
  • New and upcoming therapies to treat Enhertu refractory low HER2 expressing tumors