Day One

• Reviewing critical lessons from past CAR-T clinical trials in GBM to highlight efficacy barriers caused by the tumor microenvironment
• Detailing next-generation CAR-T strategies designed to resist suppression through the knockdown of upstream receptors that sense TME signals to enhance CAR-T survival in the brain
• Discussing how these novel approaches can overcome GBM’s immune resistant phenotype and achieve durable and efficacious tumour clearance

• Lessons from prior GBM CAR-T trials defining durability requirements and key TME barriers
• Rationale for multiplex editing and validation in patient-derived GBM models
• Why allogeneic CAR-T is well-suited for GBM compared to other modalities

• Outlining a strategy for integrating diverse data streams, from molecular biomarkers to advanced imaging, to create a unified view of patient response
• Discussing how real-time insights from biomarkers and imaging can inform dynamic adjustments to drug dosage and treatment schedules, moving beyond traditional safety metrics
• Exploring how this integrated approach can provide a more robust and evidence-based foundation for making critical decisions about advancing the drug to a larger trial

Put a face to a name – this session is the perfect opportunity to get face-to-face time with key

opinion leaders, leading companies, and innovative researchers in the Glioblastoma field. Establish

meaningful connections and gain individual insight beyond the papers and press releases into the

pioneering research and technique applications.

• Selecting human-relevant glioblastoma models through integration of genomic profiling, phenotypic characterization, and clinical alignment to enhance translational accuracy
• Designing orthotopic intracranial studies that maximize translational value through responsible animal use and alignment with evolving FDA guidance under the Modernization Act
• Applying predictive AI/ML to optimize model selection, guide therapeutic strategies, and accelerate biomarker-driven development for GBM therapeutics

• Discussing strategies for molecular profiling and imaging biomarkers to successfully stratify patients for clinical trials
• Exploring innovative control arms using AI and predictive measure to address budget constraints and patient recruitment challenges
• Overcoming current standard of care involving toxic agents such as TMZ that might hinder the potential benefits of novel therapeutics

• Value of deep genetic characterisation and functional genomics on low-passage patient-derived glioma tumorspheres
• Genetic biomarker identification and validation
• Rapid clinical impact of tumour precision targeting by clinical stage drugs

• A novel formulation of a taxane (abeotaxane) that effectively crosses the BBB
• Studied in over 350 patients to date, which include positive Phase 1 clinical trials in GBM
• Proposed Phase 2 trial for 2nd line GBM with an additional focus on the exploration of potential biomarkers

• CTO is an oral, brain‑penetrant inhibitor of non‑voltage‑dependent Ca²⁺ signaling, a pathway dysregulated in GBM and linked to cancer growth, invasion, DNA‑damage response, and immune evasion.
• In a Phase 1 trial (44 patients), CTO showed a safe toxicity profile, and in pediatric PDX models (GBM, HGG, DMG) it demonstrated greater antitumor activity than temozolomide; a pediatric Phase 1 trial is planned.
• Phase 1B combination studies showed therapeutic tumor‑tissue levels and responses across MGMT and EGFR subtypes, including 6 PRs and 1 CR in rGBM, and PFS 17.9 months/OS 37.8 months in nGBM. Biomarker‑driven Phase 2 trials are planned; CTO holds Orphan Drug designation, strong IP to 2037+, and seeks strategic partners.

• Discuss the molecular targeting and mechanism of action of the IL13-PE38QQR cytotoxic payload
• Highlight clinical outcomes from early-stage studies of IL13-PE38QQR delivered via convection-enhanced delivery (CED)
• Present a next-generation CED drug-delivery platform designed to be scalable and reproducible, addressing the key limitations that hindered prior clinical trials

• Our technology fuses a tumor targeting nanobody to a modified highly active xanthine oxidase enzyme that generates localized production of high levels of reactive oxygen species, triggering immunogenic cell death and promoting immune cell recruitment.
• Our lead program, VISK-103, which targets EGFR, has demonstrated in vitro inhibition of select established and patient-derived GBM cell lines.
• VISK-103 inhibits tumor progression of mouse xenograft models including GBM with no preliminary evidence of toxicity.

Immerse yourself in an engaging and informal session, join your peers in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages meaningful conversations and discussions. Explore a range of exciting poster presentations and showcase your own developments in the GBM world. Don’t miss out on the chance to submit your own posters and get ready to connect, learn, and present. To submit your poster please contact info@hansonwade.com

• Identifying specific data packages, preclinical models and clinical milestones that will make a GBM asset attractive for a partnership, beyond scientific novelty
• Strategies for pitching, due diligence considerations and building collaborative relationships to effectively engage with big pharma business development teams to secure a deal
• Insights into creative deal terms, IP considerations and defining clear roles and responsibilities to ensure both partners are aligned on the path to clinical and commercial success

• Tracing the journey of a groundbreaking technology, targeted DNA modification, from its initial discovery at the research bench to its successful translation into a biotech platform
• Detailing the strategic and financial evolution of the technology, highlighting how it attracted investment and ultimately led to a significant acquisition by a major pharmaceutical company
• Examining the path forward for this therapy, exploring how a promising scientific concept, now backed by a major pharma’s resources, is being advanced from the lab to clinical development and ultimately, to the patient’s bedside

• Discussing key milestones, translatable models and biomarkers that are prioritized by investors to mitigate the high-risk nature of GBM drug development
• Exploring how philanthropic funds can de-risk early-stage assets for later VC investment, highlighting overlapping interests and divergencies and how to create a compelling value-proposition for both
• Managing venture philanthropy co-investments, public-private partnerships, and strategic alliances, that are essential for accelerating the development of transformative therapies in this challenging field

Immerse yourself in the most valuable networking session of the conference & discuss your portfolio through face-to-face meetings with our expert panellists.