NextGen Biomed 2026
August 25, 2025
NextGen Biomed 2026
Type: Conference
Dates: March 23rd-25th, 2026
Location:
London, UK
Join world-class experts at our annual Proteins, Antibodies & ADCs program – uncover breakthrough strategies, pioneering technologies, and transformative innovations shaping the next generation of biotherapeutics. From cutting-edge protein and antibody engineering to advanced bioanalytics, real-world case studies, and game-changing upstream and downstream processing, this program delivers the insights driving tomorrow’s therapies today.
Workshop Details
Precision Engineering of Antibody-Based Therapies: From DR5-Targeting Bispecifics to CART-Directing Conjugates and ADC Optimization
Date: March 23rd, 2026
Time: 3pm GMT
Location: Conference Room 8, Albert
Chair: Andrew Buchanan, PhD, SVP, Head of Discovery, Stealth Biotech
Speaker 1: Victor Goldmacher, PhD, CSO, ImmuVia
Speaker 2: Shashi Jatiani, PhD, Dir. Strategic Partnerships, SeromYx Systems
Summary:
This workshop explores the sophisticated interplay between antibody engineering, receptor clustering, and Fc-mediated effector functions. As the industry moves beyond simple monoclonal antibodies, understanding how to control secondary interactions—whether through bispecific architectures or programmable synthetic motifs—is critical for enhancing tumor selectivity and de-risking clinical development.
Session 1: Targeting Death Receptor 5 with Mono- and Bispecific Antibodies: Fc Receptor–Dependent Effects on Tumor and Normal Cells.
Speaker: Victor Goldmacher, Ph.D.
- Activation of death receptor 5 (DR5) requires receptor clustering, which monospecific anti-DR5 IgG antibodies achieve only through secondary crosslinking mediated by FcγRIIB, a receptor expressed on B cells and other immune cells. This FcγRIIB dependence can produce apparent anti-tumor activity in xenograft models that may not translate clinically and may also raise concerns about off-tumor toxicity due to DR5 clustering on normal tissues. We developed IMV-M, a MUC16×DR5 bispecific apoptosis trigger that clusters DR5 directly on tumor cells through MUC16 binding, eliminating the need for FcγRIIB-mediated crosslinking. IMV-M demonstrated strong, MUC16-selective anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo without FcγRIIB interaction and showed no toxicity in a pilot non-human primate study. We will present our data and discuss the role of FcγRIIB-dependent crosslinking in the activity and interpretation of DR5-targeting antibodies and suggest a strategy to avoid this dependency; implications for FcγRIIB interactions of ADCs will also be discussed.
Session 2: Deep Fc Profiling of HER2-Targeting Antibodies: Derisking Linker Strategies for Synthetic Motif Conjugates and Uncovering Mechanistic Insights for Approved ADCs
Speaker: Shashi Jatiani, Ph.D.
- The development of universal CAR-T systems relies on the precise orchestration of conjugated monoclonal antibodies acting as programmable adapters where the interplay between the synthetic motif and the engineered Fc region is critical for therapeutic control. This session explores the choice synthetic motif conjugation strategy to ensure the antibody acts as a precise bridge without triggering unintended biological interference, specifically focusing on decoupling endogenous immune activation from CAR-T engagement. By tuning Fc-effector function, detrimental immune triggers can be reduced or silenced to prevent CART cell fratricide and CRS, ensuring the primary therapeutic action remains driven by the CAR-T cells while still leveraging beneficial Fc-mediated efficacy. Complementing this, the session presents a separate set of data involving the deep Fc-effector profiling of approved HER2-targeting antibodies. This comprehensive comparative analysis of trastuzumab-based ADCs reveals how different linker-payload combinations influence FcγR and C1q binding dynamics, providing a high-resolution map of how established ADC architectures impact innate immune-modulating potential and safety de-risking.
The Fc Review: How do antibody structure and binding dynamics shape ADCC signaling? A recent study in The AAPS Journal explores how multiple antibody design features, including Fab affinity, hinge flexibility, Fc engagement, and antigen density, influence antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) signaling. Background: ADCC is a key mechanism of action for many therapeutic antibodies, yet the strength of this response depends on more than Fcγ receptor binding alone. Productive immune activation requires antibodies to bridge target cells and effector cells within the immune synapse, forming receptor crosslinks that trigger downstream signaling. Using a combination of computational modeling and experimental data, this study examines how structural properties of antibodies influence these crosslinking events and ultimately shape ADCC signaling outcomes. The study highlights: ADCC signaling is influenced by multiple antibody properties, including Fab affinity, hinge flexibility, Fc receptor engagement, and antigen expression levels. Antibody structure affects how efficiently Fc receptors and target antigens are crosslinked within the immune synapse. In some cases, moderate Fab affinity supported stronger signaling by favoring productive crosslinking configurations. Antibody valency and hinge flexibility also influenced signaling outcomes by altering the geometry of immune synapse interactions.
The Fc Review: How well do our preclinical models capture human Fc biology? A new Science Immunology study takes a deep look at Fcγ receptor and FcRn expression across humans, non-human primates, and mice, highlighting how species-specific differences shape Fc-mediated immune function. Background: Fc-dependent activity is influenced not only by antibody design, but also by where and how Fcγ receptors are expressed across immune cell types and tissues. While animal models remain central to #antibody development, differences in Fcγ receptor biology across species can complicate interpretation of Fc-driven mechanisms. The study highlights: Species-specific differences in Fcγ receptor expression patterns across immune cell subsets and tissues. Context-dependent regulation of Fcγ receptors by inflammatory cues, with expression shifting across cell types and environments. These differences influence how Fc-mediated functions are engaged and interpreted across experimental systems. Cross-species variation in FcγR and FcRn biology helps explain why Fc-dependent effects observed preclinically may not always translate cleanly to human settings.
The Fc Review: How are antibody developers actually using Fc engineering today? A recent analysis of the IMGT/mAb-DB database takes a systematic look at engineered Fc variants across therapeutic antibodies and fusion proteins, offering a real-world snapshot of how Fc design choices are being deployed in the clinic. Background: Fc engineering is often discussed in terms of individual mutations or isolated use cases. But at an industry level, it’s less clear how frequently Fc variants are used, which functions are prioritized, and whether antibodies rely on single or multiple Fc modifications. By mining curated entries in IMGT/mAb-DB, this study steps back to examine Fc engineering trends across approved and clinical-stage molecules. The review highlights: Fc engineering is widespread across therapeutic antibodies and fusion proteins cataloged in IMGT/mAb-DB Effector silencing strategies are commonly employed, particularly in programs prioritizing safety and controlled immune engagement Many molecules incorporate multiple Fc variants, rather than a single engineered change Fc modifications are used across a range of mechanisms and formats, underscoring Fc’s role as an intentional design lever
World Vaccine Congress US 2026
The Fc Review: Continuing our series taking a closer look at recent Fc-focused papers, what they found, and why it matters for antibody discovery and development. Can we program the Fc region? A recent bioRxiv preprint explores this question at scale, using millions of Fc variants to train machine learning models that predict functional outcomes across FcγR interactions. Background: Through engagement with Fc-receptors, the antibody Fc domain can direct a broad range of immune activities, including phagocytosis, cytokine release, antigen presentation, and immune cell polarization – each of which could be precisely tuned to combat disease. Fc engineering has traditionally focused on modifying one property at a time (E.g., ADCC, ADCP, or half-life). This work instead treats the Fc region as a functional design space and explores how sequence variations across the Fc domain can be linked to real immune engagement.
The Fc Review: One Fc variant, three advantages? A Nature Communications study demonstrates how a single Fc-engineered IgG achieved improved half-life, mucosal distribution, and enhanced immune-mediated killing, across both cancer and bacterial models. Background: Fc engineering is often discussed through a single lens, half-life extension, effector boosting, or silencing. This paper explores a broader question: can an Fc variant containing three point mutations deliver multiple functional gains across different biological systems?
The Fc Review: How does Fc engineering shape bispecific antibody function? A Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology review explores how the Fc region can be tuned to control effector function, half-life, and safety, key levers in the design of next-generation bispecific antibodies ( bsAbs ). Background: Bispecific antibodies bring new therapeutic possibilities by engaging multiple targets at once. But this complexity also brings new challenges, from unwanted immune activation to altered pharmacokinetics . The Fc region plays a central role here, acting as both a stabilizing scaffold and a regulator of immune effector engagement
Abstract: Fc engineering to enhance antibody effector functions harbors the potential to improve therapeutic effects. Understanding FcγR expression and distribution in the tumor microenvironment prior to and following treatment may help guide immune-engaging antibody design and patient stratification. In this study, we investigated FcR-expressing immune effector cells in HER2 + and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), including neoadjuvant chemotherapy–resistant disease. FcγRIIIa expression, FcγRIIIa + NK cells, and classically activated (M1-like) macrophages correlated with improved anti-HER2 antibody efficacy. FcγRIIIa protein and FcγRIIIa + NK cells and macrophages were present in primary TNBC and retained in treatment-resistant tumors.
Background Authorized COVID-19 vaccines require boosters for continued protection; however, the lack of crossplatform compatible boosters creates practical challenges to keeping populations protected. Methods This Phase 3, multicenter, international, randomized, active-controlled trial compared UB-612 as a thirddose heterologous booster to BNT162b2, ChAdOx1-S, or BBIBP-CorV homologous boosters in healthy subjects aged ≥16 years. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive a single intramuscular injection of UB-612 or an active comparator matching the primary dose, and were stratified for age, sex, N-protein seropositivity, and time since the last dose of their primary series COVID-19 vaccination. The primary objective was to show noninferiority of neutralizing antibody geometric mean titer (GMT) against live SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain after boosting with UB-612 or each of the licensed platform vaccines. Secondary and exploratory objectives covered short and long-term antibody responses. The safety analysis addressed subject and investigator reported adverse events. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05293665, and completed on September 12, 2023.
The Fc Review: Continuing our series taking a closer look at recent Fc-focused papers, what they found, and why it matters for antibody discovery and development. How does Fc engineering shape the translation of antibodies from preclinical models to the clinic? A new industry-wide review with 15 case studies examines the impact of Fc modifications on pharmacology and safety, and the challenges of predicting human outcomes from nonclinical studies. Background: Fc regions do not only extend half-life, they drive functions like ADCC , ADCP, CDC, and immune modulation. Engineering the Fc can enhance, silence, or redirect these activities. But the same changes that deliver potency can also introduce risk, especially when preclinical models do not fully mirror human Fc receptor biology.
