AAPS’ well-respected National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) will return as an entirely virtual event May 17–21, 2021.
Like AAPS’ popular PharmSci 360, NBC will follow a track-based structure. The three tracks are:
This track will explore the current state of nucleic acid (NA)-based therapies with a comprehensive look across the applications, barriers to success, and the development cycle for these medicines. Nucleic-acid-based therapies have the potential to tackle diseases that arise due to genetic errors in an individual’s DNA. By using various methodologies, scientists can modify or reduce the expression of faulty genes that cause disease or eliminate the nucleic acid material of infectious agents. COVID-19 has increased the attention afforded RNA-based vaccine candidates, while CRISPR-Cas9 and gene editing approaches continue blazing new trails for indications that were previously deemed untreatable. Even though nucleic-acid-based therapies now span a wide spectrum of therapeutic opportunities, significant challenges for development, manufacturing, delivery, and regulatory approaches remain.
This track will explore current developments in the antibody therapies field, including antibody-drug conjugates and other novel therapeutic approaches. Monoclonal antibodies as a product class have become a benchmark for successful biologics therapies and have set new standards for how recombinant therapeutics are developed, manufactured, and approved. Advances in methods used for designing antibodies, including knowledge-based computational approaches combined with molecular simulations, are helping improve the accuracy of de novo design methods and the customization of functionality of antibodies.
This track will take a comprehensive look at state-of-the-art developments in the field of cell therapies. Transplantation of unmodified cells to replace or repair damaged tissue, or the use of engineered human cells as treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions, including cancer, is gaining momentum. Although cell therapy holds immense promise to treat a variety of difficult to treat diseases, the field is facing significant challenges, especially in manufacturing, supply chain, and storage stability, as well as the use of raw and ancillary materials. Regulating live therapies brings its own challenges, especially as several therapies cross the biologics/device interface.
NBC will also offer a Career Development Program focused on developing management and leadership skills as well as a Career Fair and other options to help job-hunters.
Call for Papers - Coming Soon!
AAPS will accept abstract submissions for poster presentation at the AAPS National Biotechnology Conference early in December. Visit aaps.org/nbc to review the Call for Papers and submit your abstract.
Partners
Contact AAPS Corporate Engagement Director Erik Burns at burnse@aaps.org to discuss this emerging opportunity.