Add to Calendar 5/16/2019 8:00:00 AM 5/16/2019 10:00:00 AM Exploration of Non-traditional Therapeutics: Antibody Drug Conjugates
With over 30 years of R&D history, Antibody-drug Conjugates combine the targeting capabilities of monoclonal antibodies with the cancer-killing ability of cytotoxic drugs. Their goal is to transport “deactivated” toxic agents to targeted cancer cells without adversely affecting normal tissues. Once in the tumor cell the cytotoxin’s full cancer killing capability is activated causing rapid cell death. Although it sounds simple these therapies are complex and throughout its history and ongoing research is focused on optimizing the components and the resultant whole in terms of its ability to target the right cells and deliver the most effective knockout punch to cancer cells.
Our distinguished panel of experts will cover:
  • Why ADCs?
  • Latest ADC approaches to speed component selection and testing
  • Modern techniques to ensure stability, targeted delivery, and limited off-target effects
  • Working with FDA to create a joint understanding of how their therapies work and accelerate time to clinical trials
  • Where are we going? The application of ADCs beyond oncology and hematology to other important disease areas
NOTE: This forum will be held at the Ragon Institute Auditorium, 400 Technology Square which is adjacent to the MassBio offices which are at 300 Technology Square.
 Ragon Auditorium, 400 Tech Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
Chief Scientific Officer, Mersana Therapeutics
Dr. Lowinger joined Mersana in 2008, bringing nearly 15 years of global scientific leadership and drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Over the course of his career at Bayer Pharmaceuticals in the US, Japan and Germany, he contributed to the discovery of more than 15 preclinical and clinical drug candidates in the areas of oncology, asthma, inflammation, virology, obesity and diabetes. Most notably, Dr. Lowinger is a co-inventor of the pioneering anti-angiogenic agent Nexavar (sorafenib), approved for the treatment of renal and hepatocellular cancer, as well as Stivarga (regorafenib), approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Dr. Lowinger has published more than 40 scientific papers and is a co-inventor on more than 40 patents. He has a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of British Columbia and was a Merck Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ohio State University in the lab of Professor Leo A. Paquette. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Keystone Symposia.