Pre-Conference Day

Neoantigen selection and validation remains a major bottleneck for the industry, requiring accurate prioritisation of tumour-specific mutations that are processed, presented, and capable of driving robust T-cell responses. Advanced bioinformatics tools such as whole exome/genome sequencing and multi-omics integration, provide a structured approach to identifying and ranking candidate targets based on expression, clonality, and HLA presentation. With the rise of AI and machine learning, this process can help further refine immunogenicity prediction and accelerates target prioritisation. This workshop will explore how combining bioinformatics and AI-driven strategies can overcome key challenges in neoantigen validation and enhance the development of  effective cancer immunotherapies.

This workshop will gather experts to discuss:

• Integrate multi-omics data to improve target validation and accuracy 
• Apply AI and machines learning models to enhance immunogenicity prediction 
• Analyse end-to-end neoantigen identification workflows to streamline your neoantigen selection
• Explore strategies for experimental validation to overcome hurdles with standard validation techniques 
• Utilise bioinformatics data to precisely translate it into clinically actionable immunotherapy programs

As neoantigen therapies advance into clinical development, optimising clinical trial design and operational setup becomes critical to ensuring scientific validity, regulatory alignment, and overall programme success. Careful planning of endpoints, patient stratification strategies, biomarker integration, manufacturing timelines, and site coordination is essential to minimise delays, control costs, and generate robust, interpretable data. This workshop will provide an in-depth exploration of best practices in clinical trial setup to equip you with the strategic and operational insights needed to execute streamlined, data-driven, and successful trials.

This workshop will gather experts to discuss:

• Design robust trial protocols to successfully meet regulatory requirements
• Align manufacturing timelines and supply chain logistics with clinical trial sites to ensure timely treatment delivery
• Optimise patient selection approaches to improve response rates and meet primary endpoints
• Generate mechanistic insights through immune monitoring and translational biomarker analysis
• Navigate varying regulatory requirements to support smoother global trial execution 

While cancer vaccines and T-cell therapies have demonstrated encouraging progress in targeting neoantigens, significant challenges remain in optimising tumour specificity, overcoming immune evasion, and improving clinical response rates. To overcome this, there is growing interest in expanding beyond traditional platforms to include alternative modalities such as bispecific antibodies, ADCs, targeted small molecules and other next-generation biologics. This workshop will provide a comprehensive and comparative evaluation of emerging neoantigen targeting strategies to help you select the most appropriate modality for your programme. 

This workshop will gather experts to discuss:

• Review the latest advancements in cancer vaccines and T-cell therapies to understand their advantages
• Explore what the emerging technologies are and the advantages of each
• Compare all the modalities against each other to understand their mechanism of action and how that helps improve tumour targeting
• Strategically choose which therapeutic is the most appropriate for the tumour type and your clinical objectives 
• Discuss the drawbacks of novel modalities in targeting neoantigens to gain a holistic overview