Thursday, February 20, 2025

7:30 am Light Breakfast & Morning Networking

8:20 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

  • Valerie Mbella Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Navigating Complex Regulatory Landscapes to Overcome Global Barriers & Achieve Ubiquitous Approvals

8:30 am Panel Discussion: Balancing Innovation & Compliance in Diagnostic Testing Amidst the Final LDT Rule to Ensure Patient Access to Great Drugs

  • Valerie Mbella Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
  • Chris Conn Director, Clinical Biomarkers & Diagnostics, Global Diagnostics Strategy Lead, Amgen
  • Fatima Khaiser Associate Director - Regulatory Affairs Device & Companion Diagnostics, Abbvie

Synopsis

  • Debating the positive and negative aspects of the Final LDT Rule for liquid biopsy innovation
  • Understanding the responsibilities for drug-diagnostic partnerships in ensuring swift approvals
  • How can we minimize financial and temporal burdens of complex approvals in the US?

9:30 am Navigating Regulatory Lab Quality for Liquid Biopsies to Adhere to IVDR Compliance

  • Lisa Boersma Associate Director, Precision Medicine & Companion Diagnostics, Regeneron

Synopsis

  • Simplifying lab compliance with IVDR and emerging LDT regulations to streamline global market access
  • Implementing rigorous audit protocols that reveal hidden compliance gaps overlooked by standard inspections
  • Developing robust criteria to evaluate lab partners, ensuring top-tier quality for every
  • step of the liquid biopsy process

10:00 am Navigating Challenges in Utilizing ctDNA Profiling for Biomarker-Driven Therapy Development

  • Erin Newburn Senior Director, Field Applications Scientist, LabCorp

Synopsis

  • CtDNA profiling is applicable throughout the drug development and patient journeys
  • Innovative ctDNA profiling approaches are enhancing sensitivity and accuracy
  • A globalized approach is needed in today's precision oncology landscape

10:30 am Morning Networking Break

Track A: Discovery & Technology Innovation

Harnessing Multi-Analytes to Advance Comprehensive Oncology Understanding to Unlock Deeper Insights into Patient Surveillance

11:30 am Leveraging cfDNA Methylation Status to Predict Response to Therapy & Exploring its Potential for Early Cancer Detection

Synopsis

  • Leveraging cfDNA Methylation Status to Predict Response to Therapy & Exploring its Potential for Early Cancer Detection 
  • cfDNA methylation status: prioritizes of the field and future landscape 
  • Case study: use of whole blood methylation status for response to therapy in multiple myeloma 
  • Use of cfDNA methylation status for cancer-risk prediction in solid tumors

12:00 pm Session Reserved for Volition

12:10 pm Panel Discussion: Unleashing the Power of CTCs to Revolutionize Biomarker Discovery & Transform Cancer Insights

Synopsis

  • How are CTCs currently being utilized to shape precision medicine approaches?
  • Exploring the power of exosomes in early cancer diagnostics to improve accuracy in tumour representation
  • Leveraging alternative biological fluids to enhance the detection of complementary biomarkers

Track B: Clinical Development & Commercialization

Overcoming Reimbursement Barriers to Enhance Patient Access to Innovative Therapies

11:30 am Bridging the Gap with Strategies for Achieving Consistent Reimbursement of Liquid Biopsies Across Global Markets

Synopsis

  • Examining the varying reimbursement policies for liquid biopsies in different regions and their impact on clinical adoption
  • Engaging with payers and healthcare regulators to align on coverage requirements
  • Outlining approaches for generating robust health-economic evidence to support reimbursement application

12:00 pm Optimizing Tissue-free ctDNA Evaluations with QCT Technology: Enhancing Sensitivity for Therapy Selection & Enabling Quantitative Therapy Response Monitoring

  • David Tsao Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, BillionToOne

Synopsis

  • Employing our patented QCT technology to achieve single molecule resolution 
  • Enhanced limit of detection augments sensitivity in low-VAF setting to improve detection of clinically actionable alterations
  • Precise therapy Response quantification and clonal profiling through a personalized methylation-based approach 

12:10 pm Predicting Oncology Market Trends Over the Next Five Years

Synopsis

  • Therapy Selection: Continued strong adoption
  • MRD: The next big wave of growth
  • Screening: The eventual future

12:40 pm Networking Lunch

Optimizing Biomarker Discovery with Unparalleled Liquid Biopsy Analysis to Enhance Therapeutic Efficacy in Clinical Trials

1:40 pm Revolutionizing Early Bladder Cancer Detection with Urine-Based Genomic Liquid Biopsies

  • David Weingeist Scientific Director, Oncology Diagnostics Leader, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Synopsis

  • Utilizing urine samples for patient screening, providing a reliable and patient-friendly alternative that addresses the challenges associated with tissue and plasma-based testing
  • Employing a highly sensitive genomic method capable of identifying a broad spectrum of genetic alterations
  • Leveraging the robust detection capabilities of urine-based assays to facilitate earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatment strategies

2:10 pm Roundtable Discussion: Maximizing the Impact of Liquid Biopsies in Cancer Care: Collaboration, Clinical Integration, & Cost-Effectiveness

Synopsis

  • Strategies to enhance partnerships among researchers, clinicians, and industry stakeholders to accelerate liquid biopsy innovation and implementation
  • Approaches to incorporate Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing and ctDNA monitoring into clinical guidelines, ensuring their widespread adoption and effective utilization in cancer treatment protocols
  • Analyzing the cost-benefit aspects of liquid biopsies, including the use of affordable digital PCR panels versus traditional sequencing methods, and assessing how these technologies can reduce healthcare costs while improving patient outcomes

2:40 pm Molecular Response in Ovarian Cancer

  • Olivier Harismendy Vice President - Translational Data Sciences, Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Synopsis

  • Reviewing available methodologies and published studies
  • Presenting a Case Review from published studies
  • Showcasing lessons learnt from azenosertib clinical studies

Accelerating Liquid Biopsy Adoption through Optimal Implementation & Commercialization to Maximize Clinical Impact & Patient Access

1:40 pm Enhancing Collaboration & Harmonization in Liquid Biopsy Surveillance: A BLOODPAC Perspective

Synopsis

  • Highlighting key strategies to foster collaboration among stakeholders in liquid biopsy research
  • Introducing the new lexicon designed to standardize terminology and practices across the liquid biopsy field

2:10 pm When Samples Fail, Aspyre Lung Prevails: Rapid, Highly Sensitive RNA/DNA Detection for Challenging Tissue Biopsies & Low VAF Liquid Biopsies in NSCLC Trials

  • Jeff Gregg Vice President Medical Affairs, Biofidelity - Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine

Synopsis

  • Understand how Aspyre rescues samples not amenable for NGS
  • Learn how Aspyre achieves exquisite performance with all sample types including FFPE, FNA washes, pleural effusions, liquid biopsy
  • Harness the power of Aspyre to receive results within 2 days
  • Optimize patient enrollment by testing both RNA and DNA in a single test

2:40 pm Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Care: Cost-Benefit of ctDNA Monitoring for Wider Adoption

Synopsis

  • How does post-surgery ctDNA detection predict recurrence and support timely intervention in CRCLM patients?
  • What are the cost-saving benefits of using affordable digital PCR panels over traditional sequencing methods?
  • How can treatment adjustment based on ctDNA status reduce over-treatment, improve patient quality of life, and promote adoption in healthcare systems?

3:10 pm Afternoon Networking Break

Enhancing Liquid Biopsy Utilization through Strengthened Compliance & Strategic Partnerships for Global Market Succes

3:30 pm Session Reserved for Oxford BioDynamics

4:00 pm Driving Innovation through Strategic Vendor Partnerships in Precision Medicine Development for Global Success

Synopsis

  • How to establish specific, measurable goals for partnerships to ensure alignment and drive focus on shared outcomes
  • How to identify and utilize the unique strengths of each partner to create synergistic solutions that accelerate development timeline
  • Maintaining flexibility in adjusting strategies based on emerging liquid biopsy findings to ensure rapid responses and capitalize on new opportunities in precision medicine

4:30 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

  • Valerie Mbella Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

5:05 pm End of 9th Liquid Biopsy for Precision Oncology Summit