Explore the Agenda

7:30 am Registration & Light Breakfast

8:20 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Senior Vice President Clinical Development, Autem Therapeutics

Overcoming the Brain’s Immunosuppressive Environment with Cell Therapy Approaches for Breakthrough GBM Treatments

8:30 am Exploring Next-Generation CAR-T Treatments for Glioblastomas to Overcome the Tumor Microenvironment & Ensure Efficacy

Principal Investigator & Physician Scientist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • 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

9:00 am Multiplex-Edited CAR-T in GBM: Building a Blueprint to Overcome TME Barriers

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, KiraGen Bio
  • 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

Exploring Effective Clinical Development Beyond Phase I Trials to Overcome Funding Challenges, Improve Efficiency & Ultimately Get from Bench to Bedside Faster

9:30 am Integration of Biomarkers & Imaging to Define Patient Response in a Phase I/II Clinical Trial

Chief Scientific Officer, Candel Therapeutics
  • 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

10:00 am Speed Networking

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.

10:30 am Morning Refreshments & Networking

11:00 am Session Details TBC

Senior Director, Scientific Engagement and Key Accounts, Certis Oncology Solution

Advancing Biomarker-Based Enrollment, Predictive Biomarkers & Diagnostics for Glioblastomas to Improve Diagnostic & Clinical Accuracy

11:30 am Reconsidering the Design of Phase II/III Clinical Trials to Ensure Patients Overcome Challenges with Standard Control Arms for More Streamlined Trials

Vice President, Theranostic NeuroOncology, Telix Pharmaceuticals
  • 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

12:00 pm Driving the Use of Biomarker-Based Enrollment in GBM trials to Accelerate Clinical Success & Improve Patient Outcomes

Chief Scientific Officer, Candel Therapeutics
Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, CoSyne Therapeutics
Vice President, Theranostic NeuroOncology, Telix Pharmaceuticals
  • Addressing the lack of analysis of molecular data in current enrolment protocols for GBM trials
  • Discussing strategies to incorporate biomarker-based enrolment given the rise of personalized therapies
  • Establishing the efficacy of targeted treatments in recurrent GBM to accelerate the delivery of peronalized therapies

12:30 pm Lunch & Networking

1:30 pm High-throughput Drug Perturbation in Patient-Derived Gliomaspheres Enables Patient Stratification

Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, CoSyne 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

2:00 pm TPI 287, A Taxane Derivative that Crosses the Blood Brain Barrier, for the Treatment of Glioblastoma

CMO, CNS Pharmaceuticals
  • 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

2:30 pm Pitch Slam

Our pitch slam welcomes the opportunity for 4 biotechs eager to promote their technology to our

investors through 15-minute presentations with a guaranteed audience of our investment and

pharma business development speakers.

TALK 1: CTO: An Oral, Brain‑Penetrant Inhibitor of Non‑Voltage‑Dependent Ca²⁺ Signaling for Glioblastoma

CEO, Tactical Therapeutics
  • 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.

TALK 2: Reactivation of a Tumor Stem Cell–Targeted Oncolytic Protein for Glioblastoma Enabled by a Scalable, Reproducible Delivery Platform

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Precision NeuroMed
  • 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

TALK 3: TARGETING GBM: NOVEL AGENT, UNIQUE MECHANISM

CEO, Viska Bio

3:30 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Poster Session

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

Navigating the Investment & Partnerships Landscape in GBM Drug Development to Gain Visibility & Fund Preclinical Studies to Advance Assets Through the Clinic

4:00 pm Pharma Perspectives Panel Discussion: Successfully Engaging with Large Pharma Companies to Secure Future Partnerships for GBM Therapeutic Development

professor, Yale Univerisity
Director, Search & Evaluation, Business Development & Licensing, Merck & Co
  • 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

4:30 pm Targeted DNA Modification as a Novel Glioma Therapy: Journey from Bench to Biotech to Pharma…to Bedside…

professor, Yale Univerisity
  • 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

5:00 pm Investor Perspectives Panel Discussion: What Drives Philanthropic & Venture Investment in the Challenging Glioblastoma Landscape?

EIR, Google Ventures
Investment Director, RA Capital Management
Founding Partner, White Lion Capital LLC
Managing Director, Brain Tumor Investment Fund
  • 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

5:30 pm Matchmaking Roundtables:

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

6:30 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

6:40 pm End of Conference Day 1