Explore the Agenda
8:05 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Building Translational Confidence to Improve Oncology Development Decisions
8:10 am Evidence – Precision by Design: Accelerating Oncology Drug Discovery with High-Fidelity Models
- Leveraging integrated in vitro, in vivo, and translational approaches to better capture clinically relevant tumour biology and immune responses during drug discovery
- Understanding the strengths and limitations of different model platforms
- Evaluating how high-fidelity model systems can improve confidence in candidate selection and development decisions
8:30 am Evidence – Using Translational Models to Overcome Tumour Antigen Heterogeneity & Improve CAR-T Responses in Solid Tumours
- Understanding how tumour antigen heterogeneity contributes to resistance and variable patient responses in CAR-T therapy
- Leveraging translational model systems to evaluate strategies that overcome antigen escape and improve therapeutic durability
- Applying insights from the CARKey platform to develop more consistent and clinically meaningful responses across diverse patient populations
8:50 am Insights Exchange – What Drives Confidence in Translational Decision Making?
- Which datasets provide the greatest confidence when progressing a candidate?
- How can teams determine whether a preclinical signal is meaningful enough to justify investment?
- What are the biggest barriers to translating promising biology into clinical success?
- Audience Q&A
9:10 am Morning Break & Dedicated Speed Networking Session
As the tumour modelling community is reunited, this valuable session will ensure you get the chance to reconnect with peers and make brand new connections! This structured networking opportunity will pair you with fellow attendees for several 3-minute introductions, ensuring you have the opportunity to meet and network with your industry colleagues.
Exploring Predictive Models, Biomarkers & Clinical Insights to Improve Translational Confidence
10:10 am Evidence – Bridging Preclinical Models to Clinical Outcomes Through Integrated Imaging & Biomarker Strategies
- Leveraging in vivo models, imaging technologies, and biomarker data to improve confidence in translational relevance
- Designing robust preclinical packages that balance scientific rigor with practical decision-making for first-in-human progression
- Identifying where tumour models fail to predict clinical outcomes and how to refine strategies to reduce late-stage risk
10:30 am Evidence – Improving Confidence in Glioblastoma Development by Understanding What Truly Predicts Clinical Success
- Exploring why glioblastoma programmes continue to fail despite apparently encouraging preclinical data and examining the differences between marginal and clinically meaningful efficacy signals
- Evaluating the predictive value of orthotopic and translational tumour models to better understand which preclinical outcomes are most strongly associated with clinical success
- Applying lessons learned from glioblastoma development programmes to improve candidate selection, strengthen translational confidence, and avoid progression decisions based on weak or misleading data
10:50 am Evidence – Harnessing Liquid Biopsy Signals to Advance Early Cancer Detection, MRD Monitoring, & Predictive Disease Modeling
- Translating liquid biopsy insights into preclinical models to detect early tumour evolution and -treatment response
- Modeling Low Tumor Burden and Tumor Developmental Trajectories to Advance Early Cancer -Detection and Therapeutic Index
- Using clinical observational data to refine model systems and enable earlier, more effective intervention strategies
11:10 am Session Reserved for Partner
11:40 am Insights Exchange – How Can We Better Predict Clinical Success Before the Clinic?
- Which preclinical endpoints, biomarkers, and model characteristics are most consistently associated with successful clinical outcomes?
- How can organisations use clinical observations, imaging, and translational data to improve confidence in model-derived decisions and reduce late-stage risk?
- What are the most common reasons promising preclinical programmes fail in patients, and how can model strategies be refined to improve predictability?
- Audience Q&As
12:00 pm Lunch Break
12:00 pm Lunch Hosted by Curesponse
Invite only networkng lunch with experts from Curesponse
Building Fit for Purpose Model Selection Strategies to Balance Cost, Time & Biological Relevance
1:00 pm Evidence – Advancing the 3Rs Through Integrated Use of 3D Spheroids & In Vivo Models in Immuno-Oncology Development
- Evaluating how 3D spheroids and advanced in vitro systems can complement in vivo studies to improve biological relevance and reduce animal use
- Determining which questions require complex in vivo models versus alternative approaches across different stages of development
- Building robust preclinical evidence packages that balance translational confidence, operational feasibility, and 3Rs principles
1:20 pm Session Reserved for Partner
1:50 pm Improving Translational Confidence Through Better Designed Animal Models
- Identifying where current animal models continue to provide critical insights that cannot yet be replicated through alternative approaches
- Understanding how animal welfare, study design, and model selection influence data quality and decision-making confidence
- Sharing practical strategies to improve reproducibility and scientific value while supporting ongoing implementation of 3Rs principles
2:10 pm Insights Exchange – How Should Teams Select the Right Model Under Real World Constraints?
- What characteristics consistently appear in models that successfully predict patient outcomes?
- Where do models most commonly fail despite encouraging preclinical data?
- Which translational endpoints should teams prioritise when evaluating model performance
- Audience Q&A
2:40 pm Inaugural Poster Competition & Afternoon Break
Witness some of the latest and greatest research in the tumour modelling field in this spotlight poster session! Visit the website for T&Cs for submitting a poster.
Engineering Next Generation Models to Better Recapitulate the Tumour Microenvironment & Support Complex Modalities
3:40 pm Evidence – Understanding Which Models Best Predict Systemic Responses to Intratumoral Immunotherapies
- Exploring the limitations of traditional tumour models when evaluating immunemediated mechanisms of action
- Assessing how models can capture tumour antigen release, immune priming, and responses beyond the treated tumour site
- Applying translational learnings from intratumoral immunotherapy development to improve combination strategies and clinical translation
4:00 pm Evidence – Using CRISPR Screening to Decode Tumour Microenvironment Biology & Identify Next Generation Immunotherapy Targets
- Applying CRISPR-based approaches to uncover mechanisms of immune suppression within the tumour microenvironment
- Leveraging advanced tumour models to identify and validate novel immuno-oncology targets
- Using translationally relevant systems to prioritise targets with the greatest potential to drive durable anti-tumour responses
4:20 pm Evidence – Exploring the CombiCell Platform to Provides a Clinically Relevant Antigen-Biology Layer for Immunotherapy Discovery
- Immunotherapy response is governed by antigen density thresholds, not binary target presence – yet discovery still relies on cell lines that sit far above clinical densities, hiding the low-density and relapse conditions where CAR-T, TCEs and multi-specifics actually fail.
- CombiCell allows display of one or more targets on cells at precise, tunable densities in minutes rather than months – spanning the full clinical range, free of genetic drift, and reaching the ultra-low densities beyond the limits of flow cytometry.
- This transforms antigen density into a controllable experimental variable across modalities, grounding in vitro discovery R&D in clinical relevant target densities
4:40 pm Evidence – Engineering More Clinically Relevant Tumour Models to Evaluate Intratumoral Delivery & Turn Cold Tumours Hot
- Exploring how tumour models can better replicate the practical realities of intratumoral dosing, distribution, and therapeutic exposure within solid tumours
- Evaluating strategies to optimise local delivery, injection approaches, and formulation design to maintain drug stability and activity within the tumour microenvironment
- Sharing future plans from the SPARC consortium on developing scalable approaches, including tumour on chips, to convert immunologically cold tumours into hot tumours that are responsive to antibody and immune-based therapies
5:00 pm Insights Exchange – What Biological Features Are Still Missing From Today’s Tumour Models?
- Which aspects of the tumour microenvironment remain most difficult to capture?
- How can advanced models be made more scalable and reproducible?
- What innovations will have the biggest impact on model relevance over the next five years?
- Audience Q&As