CONFERENCE DAY ONE

All times in EDT

7:30 am Registration Opens

8:45 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

  • Jimmy Jin Vice President, Head of Biology, Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc.

9:00 am Panel Discussion: An Overview of the Hippo Pathway Drug Development Landscape

Synopsis

  • What indications are showing most promise for therapeutic intervention on the Hippo pathway?
  • Will targeted approaches on TEAD isoforms be the key to navigating risk of toxicity from pan-TEADs?
  • How do we convince investors Hippo pathway treatments are worth their time when some consider the pathway ‘unvalidated’?

Mechanistic Insights into TEAD Palmitoylation to Deepen Functional Understanding of Inhibition

9:45 am Therapeutic Targeting of TEAD Transcription Factors in Cancer

  • Wanjin Hong Professor & Executive Director, IMCE A*STAR

Synopsis

  • Understanding how YAP/TAZ-TEAD complex is activated in human cancer
  • Demonstrating how TEAD hydrophobic pocket is druggable by small molecules
  • Showcasing work on three covalent inhibitors targeting TEAD

10:15 am Update from Novartis on Lead Candidate

  • Jason Faris Senior Director, Clinical Program Leader, Novartis AG

Synopsis

  • Talk details TBC

10:45 am Morning Break & Speed Networking

11:45 am Leveraging NMR Fragment Screening Method to Identify Starting Points for Optimization & Disruption of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD Interaction to Develop Structurally Unique Lead-like Chemotypes for TEAD Inhibition

  • Shaun Stauffer Director, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Cleveland Clinic

Synopsis

  • Pinpointing the approach to develop a streamlined NMR screening platform to identify putative TEAD binders and hit assessment
  • Showcasing a pipeline in structural science to allow X-ray structure determination of putative hit fragments
  • Highlighting how mode of inhibition and kinetics of TEAD binders are defined based on crystallography and biophysical evaluation

Leveraging Biomarkers to Accelerate Established Hippo Pathway Clinical Drug Development

12:15 pm Biomarker-Guided Drug Development of YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitors

  • Adeela Kamal Senior Vice President, Head of Discovery Biology & Translational Medicine, SpringWorks Therapeutics

Synopsis

  • SW-682: preclinical data for a novel TEAD inhibitor for Hippo-mutant cancers
  • Overview of potential biomarkers for patient stratification, target engagement and molecular response
  • Biomarkers for YAP activation as oncogenic driver or resistance mechanism to targeted therapies

12:45 pm Roundtable Discussion: Exploring What More Needs to be Done to Develop & Establish Hippo Pathway Biomarkers

  • Adeela Kamal Senior Vice President, Head of Discovery Biology & Translational Medicine, SpringWorks Therapeutics

Synopsis

  • How can we better approach upstream hippo pathway biomarker discovery?
  • Does inhibiting TEAD create a measurable functional effect on disease that could act as a biomarker?
  • Are we selecting the right patients with the right TEAD isoform mutations?
  • Are there biomarkers of resistance and how do we find them?

1:15 pm Lunch & Networking

2:15 pm Highlighting Alternatives: Novel Biomarkers for TEAD Selectivity

Synopsis

  • Presenting preclinical updates on a lead covalent TEADi including in vivo efficacy
  • Harnessing TEAD selectivity to expand into TEADi-responsive indications
  • Exploring combination approaches with KRASi

2:45 pm Supercharging Hippo Pathway Clinical Drug Development with Clinical Insights into a TEAD Inhibitor

  • Len Post Chief Scientific Officer, Vivace Therapeutics Inc

Synopsis

  • Reviewing the preclinical in vivo data that has enabled translation into the clinic
  • Presenting clinical efficacy data and insights into toxicology in a candidate TEAD inhibitor for a rare oncology indication
  • Advancing drug development with plans for a phase 2

3:15 pm Afternoon Break & Networking

Broadening the Toolbox: Indications Showing Most Therapeutic Potential for Targeting the Hippo Pathway

3:45 pm Cardiovascular Conditions & the Hippo Pathway: Where’s the Potential?

Synopsis

  • Assessing the data driving hippo pathway aberrations and incidence of cardiovascular conditions to spotlight the potential for drug development
  • Characterizing cardio conditions and the existing treatment paradigm of disease
  • Hypothesizing a logical approach to drug design to target hippo in cardio indications to inform translation

4:15 pm Championing TEAD Inhibitor in Combination to Tackle Resistance in Oncology

  • Jeff Ecsedy Chief Development Officer, Ikena Oncology

Synopsis

  • Cataloging the preclinical in vivo data that has enabled translation into the clinic
  • Exploring new data that points to mechanistic insights into Hippo pathway and cancer resistance
  • Considering other potential pathways and drugs to use in combination

5:15 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

5:30 pm End of Conference Day One