Biomarkers & Diagnostics World Congress 2013 - May 6-8, 2013, Philadelphia, PA

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BIOMARKERS
& DIAGNOSTICS
world congress 2013
MAY 6 - 8, 2013 | LOEWS PHILADELPHIA HOTEL | PHILADELPHIA, PA
The Leading Annual Meeting Dedicated to Biomarkers
and Diagnostics Research and Implementation

Dinner Courses: Conference Programs:
Fit-for-Purpose Biomarker Assay May 6 - 7, 2013
Development and Validation
Next-Generation Sequencing as Track 1: Translational
a Clinical Test Biomarkers in Drug Development
Laboratory-Developed Tests
Track 2: Clinical Assay
Development
Track 3: Cancer Tissue
Featured Speakers
Nicholas C. Dracopoli
Diagnostics
VP, Janssen R&D
Johnson & Johnson May 6 - 8, 2013
Khusru Asadullah
VP, Head, Global Biomarkers Track 4: Executive Summit:
Bayer
Yoshi Oda
Companion Diagnostics
President, Biomarkers & Personalized Medicine
Eisai
May 7 - 8, 2013
Eric Lai
SVP, Head, Pharmacogenomics
Takeda Track 5: Biomarkers for
David Wholley Patient Selection
Director
Biomarkers Consortium
George Bashirians
Track 6: Cancer Drug Resistance
Director, Clinical Research & Precision Medicine
Pfizer Track 7: Exosomes and
Microvesicles as Biomarkers
and Diagnostics
Premier Sponsor
BiomarkerWorldCongress.com

BIOMARKERS & DIAGNOSTICS
world congress 2013
Conference-at-a-Glance

Track 1: Translational Biomarkers Track 2: Clinical Track 3: Cancer Tissue Diagnostics Track 4: Executive Summit:
in Drug Development Assay Development Companion Diagnostics*
Sunday, May 5
5:00-6:00 Conference Pre-Registration
Monday, May 6
8:30-10:00 Biomarkers in Translational Medicine From Research Biomarkers to Whole-Slide Imaging and Commercialization of
Clinical Assays Digital Pathology Companion Diagnostics
10:00-10:30 Networking Coffee Break
10:30-11:50 Biomarkers in Translational Medicine From Research Biomarkers to Whole-Slide Imaging and Commercialization of
Clinical Assays Digital Pathology Companion Diagnostics
11:50-1:20 Luncheon Presentation Lunch on Your Own
Sponsored by
1:20-2:40 Biomarker Utility in Clinical Development NGS in Clinical Use Strategies for Rx-Dx Partnerships
2:40-3:40 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
3:40-5:00 Biomarker Utility in Clinical Development NGS in Clinical Use Strategies for Rx-Dx Partnerships
5:00-6:00 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
6:00-9:00 Dinner Courses (Separate registration required)
Fit-for-Purpose Biomarker Assay Development and Validation
Next-Generation Sequencing as a Clinical Test
Tuesday, May 7
7:30-8:15 Breakfast Presentation Sponsored by

8:25-10:00 Biomarkers for Safety Assessment Choosing a Platform for Advances in IHC: Guiding Choosing a Platform for
Companion Diagnostics Therapy Decisions Companion Diagnostics
10:00-11:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
11:00-12:15 Biomarker Collaborations and Consortia Multiplexed Assays Tissue Biomarkers for Targeted Therapy Panel Discussion: Next-Generation
CDx Platforms
12:15-1:45 Lunch on Your Own and Conference Registration for Tracks 5-7
Track 5: Biomarkers for Track 6: Cancer Drug Resistance Track 7: Exosomes and Microvesicles
Patient Selection as Biomarkers and Diagnostics
12:15-1:45 Conference Registration
1:45-2:40 Biomarkers to Diagnostics Exosome Biomarkers in Biomarkers to Diagnostics
Drug Development
3:45-5:30 Molecular Profiling of Tumor Heterogeneity to Guide Therapy Exosome Biomarkers in Timeline for CDx Development
Drug Development
6:00-9:00 Dinner Course (Separate registration required)
Wednesday, May 8
7:30-8:15 Breakfast Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Morning Coffee
8:25-10:30 Advancing Personalized Medicine 8:05 Secondary Resistance to Targeted Exosomes as Disease Markers Advancing Personalized Medicine
Cancer Therapy
11:30-12:45 Advancing Personalized Medicine 11:30-1:15 Resistance to 11:30-1:15 Exosomes as Novel Advancing Personalized Medicine
Various Therapies: Cancer Does Cancer Biomarkers
Not Discriminate
12:45 Close of Conference 1:15 Close of Conference 1:15 Close of Conference Close of Conference
*Executive pricing registration required

2 | Biomarkers & Diagnostics World Congress BiomarkerWorldCongress.com

world congress 2013
Distinguished Faculty
Jason M. Aliotta, M.D., Assistant Professor, Nicholas C. Dracopoli, Ph.D., Vice President, Holly Hilton, Ph.D., Head, Disease and Hallgeir Rui, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Cancer
Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Janssen R&D, Johnson & Johnson Translational Genomics, Hoffmann-La Roche; Biology, Medical Oncology, and Pathology,
Brown University Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, Ph.D., Professor, Adjunct Professor, University of Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University
John L. Allinson, FIBMS, Vice President, Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame Dentistry New Jersey Kurt A. Schalper, M.D., Ph.D., Associate
Biomarker Laboratory Services, ICON Dominik Duelli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Fred H. Hochberg, M.D., Associate Professor, Research Scientist, Pathology, Yale School
Development Solutions Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rosalind Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital of Medicine
Maria E. Arcila, M.D., Department of Pathology, Franklin University of Medicine & Science, Shidong Jia, Ph.D., Scientist, Oncology Stephen C. Schmechel, M.D., Ph.D., Associate
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Chicago Medical School Biomarker Development, Genentech Professor, Pathology, University of Washington
Khusru Asadullah, M.D., Vice President and Daniel Edelman, Ph.D., Facility Head, Clinical Chris Jowett, General Manager, Commercial School of Medicine
Head, Global Biomarkers, Bayer Pharma AG Molecular Profiling Core, National Cancer Operations, Abbott Molecular Robert Schupp, Ph.D., Executive Director,
Jiri Aubrecht, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Senior Director, Institute, NIH Jingfang Ju, Ph.D., Co-Director of Translational Diagnostics Hematology/Oncology,
Safety Biomarker Group Lead, Drug Safety Reyna Favis, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Research, Pathology, Stony Brook University Celgene Corporation
Research & Development, Pfizer Clinical Research & Development, Janssen Peter M. Kazon, General Counsel, American Jason S. Simon, Ph.D., Director, Immuno-
M.J. Finley Austin, Ph.D., Personalized Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Clinical Laboratory Association Oncology Biomarkers, Discovery Medicine and
Healthcare & Biomarker Strategy Johnson Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Eric Lai, Ph.D., Senior Vice President
Director, AstraZeneca Andrea Ferreira-Gonzalez, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Pharmacogenomics, Takeda Sharon Sokolowski, Ph.D., Principal Scientist,
Nazneen Aziz, Ph.D., Director, Molecular and Chair, Division of Molecular Diagnostics; Pharmaceuticals International Pfizer Global Research & Development
Medicine, Transformation Program Office, Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Gyongyi Szabo, M.D., Ph.D., Professor,
Department of Pathology, Virginia Ira M. Lubin, Ph.D., Team Lead, Genetics
College of American Pathologists Laboratory Research and Evaluation Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts
Commonwealth University Medical School
Geoffrey Stuart Baird, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Branch, CDC
Professor, Laboratory Medicine, University Andrew Fish, Executive Director, AdvaMedDx Douglas D. Taylor, Ph.D., Professor, Obstetrics
Johan Luthman, D.D.S., Ph.D., Senior Program
of Washington Shirin Khambata Ford, Ph.D., Executive Leader, Neuroscience & Ophthalmology and Gynecology, University of Louisville School
George Bashirians, Ph.D., Director, Diagnostics Director and Global Head, Oncology Correlative Research & Development Franchise of Medicine
Lead, Clinical Research and Precision Medicine, Sciences, Novartis Integrator, Merck Meghna Das Thakur, Ph.D., Presidential
Worldwide R&D, Pfizer Herbert A. Fritsche, Ph.D., Senior Vice President Elaine Lyon, Ph.D., Medical Director, Molecular PostDoctoral Fellow, Novartis Institutes for
Robert A. Beckman, M.D., External Faculty, and CSO, Health Discovery Corporation Genetics, ARUP Laboratories BioMedical Research
Center for Evolution and Cancer, Helen Diller Felix Frueh, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Third Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head, Emina Torlakovic, M.D., Ph.D., Associate
Family Cancer Center, UCSF; Executive Director, Rock Ventures Research and Product Development, Janssen Professor, Laboratory Medicine and
Clinical Development Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo Steve Furlong, Ph.D., Safety Science Lead, Diagnostics, Janssen Pharmaceutical Pathobiology, University of Toronto
Pharma Development AstraZeneca Clinical Development Companies of Johnson & Johnson Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., Assistant Professor,
Darrell R. Borger, Ph.D., Co-Director, Translational George A. Green IV, Ph.D., Director, Duncan McHale, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Molecular & Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The
Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Pharmacodiagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb Exploratory Development at UCB Pharma Wistar Institute
Hospital Cancer Center Glen J. Weiss, M.D., Co-Head, Lung Cancer
Patrick Groody, Ph.D., Divisional Vice President, Alan Mertz, President, American Clinical
Mark Broenstrup, Ph.D., Director, Biomarker and Research & Development, Abbott Laboratory Association Unit, The Translational Genomics Research
Diagnostics, R&D Diabetes Division, Sanofi Institute (TGen); Director, Thoracic Oncology,
Steven Gutman, M.D., MBA, Strategic Yoshi Oda, Ph.D., President, Biomarkers and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials
Michael Burczynski, Ph.D., Executive Director, Advisor, Myraqa Personalized Medicine Core Function Unit, Eisai
Biomarker Technologies, Discovery Medicine at Scottsdale Healthcare; CMO, CRAB-Clinical
and Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb Abdel Halim, Pharm.D., Ph.D., DABCC- Lorraine O’Driscoll, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Trials Consortium
MDx, DABCC-TOX, DABCC-CC, FACB, Pharmacology; Director, Research, School of David Wholley, Director, Biomarkers Consortium,
Claudio Carini, M.D., Global Clinical Immunology Director, Clinical Biomarkers, Daiichi Sankyo Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity
and Biomarkers Lead, Bioenhancement Foundation for the NIH
Pharma Development College Dublin
Development Unit, Pfizer David T.W. Wong, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., Professor,
Sam Hanash, M.D., Ph.D., Director, McCombs Carol S. Palackdharry, M.D., MS, Medical Associate Dean of Research, UCLA
Luigi Catanzariti, Ph.D., Executive Director and Institute for Cancer Early Detection and Director, ActiveHealth Management; Clinical
Global Program Director, Diagnostics, Novartis School of Dentistry and Director of Dental
Treatment, MD Anderson Cancer Center Lead, Oncology Condition Analysis, Aetna Research Institute
Carol Cheung, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Charles R. Handorf, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Saumya Pant, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Merck
Pathology, University Health Network Janghee Woo, M.D., Albert Einstein
and Chair, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Liron Pantanowitz, M.D., Associate Professor, Medical Center
Atish Choudhury, M.D., Instructor in Medicine, University of Tennessee Pathology and Biomedical Informatics,
Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Wen Jin Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator,
Amir Handzel, Ph.D., Associate Director, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Division of Monoclonal Antibodies, Office
Seth Crosby, M.D., Director, Partnerships Translational and Clinical Sciences, OSI Scott D. Patterson, Ph.D., Executive Director, of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug
& Alliances, Washington University School Pharma (Astellas) Medical Sciences, Amgen Evaluation and Research, FDA
of Medicine Chunhai “Charlie” Hao, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Sonia Pearson-White, Ph.D., Scientific Brenda Yanak, Ph.D., Precision Medicine Leader,
Mark E. Curran, Ph.D., Vice President, Professor, Neuropathology Attending, Program Manager, Oncology, The Biomarkers Clinical Innovation, Pfizer
Immunology Biomarkers, Janssen Research & Department of Pathology & Laboratory Consortium, Foundation for the National
Development Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine Tammie Yeh, Ph.D., Molecular Biomarkers,
Institutes of Health Oncology Lead, Merck
Stephen P Day, Ph.D., Director, Medical
. Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Emanuel Petricoin III, Ph.D., Co-Director, The
Affairs, Hologic Human Genetics; Senior Director, Emory Eunhee S. Yi, M.D., Consultant, Anatomic
Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Pathology, Mayo Clinic; Professor, Pathology,
Viswanath Devanarayan, Ph.D., Global Head, Genetics Laboratory, Emory University Medicine, George Mason University Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Exploratory Statistics, AbbVie, Inc Philip Hewitt, Ph.D., Head, Early Non-Clinical Suso Platero, Ph.D., Director, Oncology
Safety (Liver and Kidney), Merck Serono Malcolm York, MPhil, Director and Head,
Luis Alberto Diaz, M.D., Associate Professor Biomarkers, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Clinical Pathology and Safety Assessment,
of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Stephen M. Hewitt, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Mark Priebe, MT(ASCP)SBB, Managing Director, GlaxoSmithKline R&D
Comprehensive Cancer Center Investigator, Laboratory of Pathology, National QualityStar Quality Consortium
Cancer Institute, NIH Theresa Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Director,
Max Diem, Ph.D., Professor, Chemistry and Debra Rasmussen, MBA, Senior Director, Exploratory and Translational Sciences, Merck
Chemical Biology, Northeastern University Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson

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BiomarkerWorldCongress.com Biomarkers & Diagnostics World Congress | 3

Dinner Courses*
Monday May 6, 6:00-9:00 pm
, Tuesday May 7, 6:00-9:00 pm
,

Fit-for-Purpose Biomarker Assay Development Laboratory-Developed Tests
and Validation Regulatory Issues Facing Laboratory-Developed Tests
Peter M. Kazon, General Counsel, American Clinical Laboratory Association
Instructors:
John L. Allinson, FIBMS, Vice President, Biomarker Laboratory Services, ICON The development of molecular diagnostics has been accompanied by a host
Development Solutions of regulatory issues, including coding, billing and FDA issues. This session will
Viswanath Devanarayan, Ph.D., Global Head, Exploratory Statistics, AbbVie, Inc review recent changes affecting these codes as well as the position of Medicare
on how to pay for these tests and tests including an algorithm, also referred
This tutorial will provide recommendations on the “fit-for-purpose” best to as MAAAs. It will review the latest developments from the FDA concerning
practices in the development and validation of biomarker assays for whether such tests will require FDA pre-market approval or clearance, and what
exploratory or advanced biomarker applications. Strategies for different action FDA is likely to take in the future. It will also review other actions that affect
applications at various phases of biomarker development will be described. these tests, such as the new MolDx program being overseen by Palmetto GBA, a
Key elements in the method of development and validation will be illustrated Medicare contractor.
with examples, including reference to standard material, sample stability and
collection integrity, validation and QC samples, validity of reference standards, Laboratory-Developed Tests in the Genomic Medicine Era: Validation, Regulation
calibration curve fitting methods, method optimization and feasibility studies. and Challenges Faced by New Technologies and Clinical Applications
Special challenges in protein biomarker assays will be discussed, including Andrea Ferreira-Gonzalez, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Division of Molecular
strategies for moving from biomarker panels in the exploratory phase to the Diagnostics; Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Department of
few markers chosen to support clinical trials, cross-validation of biomarker Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University
assays, etc. Laboratory-developed tests are those tests developed, validated and
performed by clinical laboratories. There are standards and regulations in
Outline:
place for the validation of these tests before they are introduced into clinical
1. Introduction: Nomenclature, types of biomarker methods/assays, method practice. This presentation will discuss the process of validation under the
development and validation road-map, fundamental validity, similarity and current regulatory framework, and regulatory challenges posed by new
differences from PK assays and diagnostic applications technologies such as NGS and its clinical applications.
2. Pre-analytical and bioanalytical elements: Target range, standards,
validation and QC samples, stability, matrix effect, specificity and LDTs in the Context of CLIA: An NIH Experience
relative selectivity Daniel Edelman, Ph.D., Facility Head, Clinical Molecular Profiling Core, National
Cancer Institute, NIH
3. Calibration curve model selection, evaluation and weighting
The mission of the Clinical Molecular Profiling Core (CMPC) of the National
4. Method feasibility and optimization with precision profiles Cancer Institute (NCI) is to provide state of the art genomic testing for specimens
5. Evaluation of some pre-study validation characteristics such as precision, obtained from NCI clinical trials. The greatest impact is effected where test results
bias, sensitivity and quantification limits have immediate clinical application for personalized cancer care for individual
6. Use of sample controls for in-study performance monitoring and patients enrolled in these trials. To that end, the CMPC is CLIA certified and
conformance testing among laboratories provides a growing set of clinical test modalities. In this talk we’ll discuss the
7 Special considerations for multiplex assays, cross-validation of assays, etc.
. challenges of meeting CLIA regulations in this new age of genomics at NIH for
high-complexity assays that did not exist as diagnostic tests when the federal
8. Method comparisons
guidelines were written.
LDT Regulation Guidance from the FDA: Where Does It Stand after Three Years?
Next-Generation Sequencing as a Clinical Test: Stephen P Day, Ph.D., Director, Medical Affairs, Hologic
.
It Takes a Community The FDA’s announced intent to further regulate laboratory developed tests
Instructors: (LDTs) enters its third year without the issuance of the anticipated guidance.
Nazneen Aziz, Ph.D., Director, Molecular Medicine, Transformation Program This presentation will summarize what the FDA has made publicly available
Office, College of American Pathologists on the subject up to this time, the positions and recommendations put
Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Human Genetics; Senior Director, forward by medical and industry professional societies, and how it will
Emory Genetics Laboratory, Emory University potentially affect clinical laboratories offering LDTs and the delivery of quality
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is used widely in clinical research for medical care.
the discovery of disease-associated genes and the clinical community
is beginning to embrace this technology for diagnostic testing. The rapid Next-Generation Sequencing Assays as Laboratory-Developed Tests
Elaine Lyon, Ph.D., Medical Director, Molecular Genetics; Co-Medical Director,
evolution of NGS technologies presents significant opportunities and
Pharmacogenomics, ARUP Laboratories; Associate Professor, University of Utah
challenges for researchers and clinicians for improving health outcomes,
particularly with respect to an increased emphasis on personalized and As next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies improve in accuracy
preventive medicine. Adoption of NGS in the clinical laboratory setting and cost effectiveness, they will become standard in clinical laboratories.
requires the adoption of many processes and procedures, such as Multi-gene panels, exome or genome analysis are alternative approaches.
the analytic and clinical validation of the test, CLIA certification/CAP With the complexity of genomic scale sequencing, implementing NGS
accreditation, standards for reference materials, availability for proficiency assays into clinical laboratories requires expertise in laboratory techniques,
testing, and questions regarding reimbursement and informed consent. informatics and interpretation. CLIA-certified clinical laboratories are
The success of NGS as a viable diagnostic modality depends on many developing NGS assays as laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). The
branches of the health care community working together. This session will presentation will discuss how NGS assays are “procedures” involving input
be informative and practical for the researcher and laboratorians who are from health care professionals, and how they fit under the category of high
considering launching NGS as a clinical test. complexity LDTs.
*Separate registration required


Track 1: Translational Biomarkers in Drug Development

Sunday, May 5 10:55-11:20 Developing Biomarkers to Predict Response to Sponsored by
Therapies in Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases through
5:00-6:00 pm Conference Pre-Registration Molecular Disease SubTyping
Renée Deehan Kenney, Ph.D., Vice President, Research, Selventa
Monday, May 6 Molecular drivers of disease are manifested across multitudes of
7:30-8:30 am Conference Registration and Morning Coffee interrelated biochemical pathways rather than genomic variations alone.
We systematically interrogated thousands of these potential disease
8:30-8:40 Welcome Remarks from Conference Director drivers with patient data to generate gene expression biomarkers to
Julia Boguslavsky, Executive Director, Conferences, Cambridge Healthtech Institute predict therapeutic response. Two case studies are presented: a blood
biomarker to select rheumatoid arthritis patients likely to respond to anti-
TNFs, and a tumor biopsy biomarker to select ER+ breast cancer patients
Biomarkers in Translational Medicine prone to disease progression during tamoxifen treatment.
8:40-8:45 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
11:25-11:40 Highly Multiplexed SOMAmer Assays Sponsored by
8:45-9:10 Translating Biological Data into Predictive Biomarker as a Flexible Platform for Biomarker Discovery Research
Development Strategies
Nick Saccomano, Ph.D., CTO, SomaLogic
Nicholas C. Dracopoli, Ph.D., Vice President, Janssen R&D, Johnson & Johnson
SomaLogic presents a transformative proteomic biomarker discovery
A decade after completion of the human genome sequence, the translation technology that measures > 1100 human proteins in just 50 uL of a biological
of complex genomic data into widely used clinical tests has been slower sample with high-performance and high-throughput. Average LOD is ~40 fM,
than anticipated. Three complex tests (in vitro diagnostic multiplex index the overall dynamic range spans 8 logs, with ~5.1% coefficient of variation.
assays - IVDMIA) have been approved as prognostic tests, but there has This technology is enabled by a new class of reagents (termed “SOMAmers”)
still not been a single approval of an IVDMIA to predict response to therapy. that contain novel chemically modified nucleotides which greatly expand their
Retrospective analyses of the development of predictive biomarkers for physicochemical diversity. Our assay has been used in dozens of clinical and
first-in-class oncology drugs over the last ten years shows that 1) insufficient preclinical studies; we have also demonstrated the progression of protein
patients have been exposed to an efficacious dose to support complex signatures to multi-analyte panel assays for later stage applications.
statistical analyses to correlate high-content data against clinical endpoints,
and 2) biomarkers that correlate to response in Phase II studies are not 11:40-11:55 Sponsored Presentation
always good predictors of overall survival in Phase III trials. We will need to
(Opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
modify the clinical development paradigm for first-in-class agents to support
or iquigley@healthtech.com)
the efficient co-development of predictive markers.
11:55-1:25 pm Luncheon Presentation Sponsored by
9:10-9:35 Application of Next-Generation Sequencing in Phase III
Oncology Trials Obtaining NAT Sensitivity with ELISA: Results from
Application of Simoa to Blood Screening
Shirin Khambata Ford, Ph.D., Executive Director and Global Head, Oncology
Correlative Sciences, Novartis David Wilson, Ph.D., Vice President, Product Development, Quanterix
Analysis of tumor samples by next-generation sequencing (NGS) has Until recently, nucleic acid testing (NAT) represented the most sensitive
increased dramatically in the last 2 years. Most of the reported results method for early acute HIV infection, when individuals are most
are genetic landscapes generated on samples collected outside clinical contagious. Using Single Molecule Arrays (Simoa), a digital ELISA
trials or from early phase trials. Application of this technology in large technique, researchers were able to demonstrate a 3000x sensitivity
global Phase III trials provides an excellent opportunity for treatment improvement over conventional ELISA and equivalence with the NAT gold
efficacy predictive biomarker explorations. Study design considerations standard but at a fraction of the cost. This ground-breaking research has
and analysis strategies for the implementation of complex and resource significant implications for blood banking, HIV detection and beyond.
demanding NGS analysis in Phase III trials will be discussed.
Biomarker Utility in Clinical Development
9:35-10:00 Can Biomarkers Recover Drug Development from the Ditch?
1:25-1:30 Chairperson’s Remarks
Abdel Halim, Pharm.D., Ph.D., DABCC-MDx, DABCC-TOX, DABCC-CC, FACB,
Director, Clinical Biomarkers, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma Development 1:30-1:55 Implementing Biomarkers in Clinical Trials
Despite all the potential benefits of using biomarkers to advance the Suso Platero, Ph.D., Director, Oncology Biomarkers, Janssen Pharmaceuticals
pharmaceutical industry, discrepant results can pose a threat to development Finding biomarkers is relatively easy nowadays. One has only to open
programs by triggering false decisions. This talk will highlight the following any journal and find dozens of articles showing the discovery of new
topics: biomarkers and their potential utility in drug development, limitations, biomarkers. The bottleneck in the development of biomarkers is in the
major reasons behind discrepant results and possibility of its mitigation. correlation of the appropriate biomarkers to each specific drug. This is done
10:00-10:30 Networking Coffee Break in the context of clinical trials. Several strategies will be presented of how to
better accomplish this task in an efficient and time sensitive manner.
10:30-10:55 Advancing Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease—From
Target Engagement to Diagnostics 1:55-2:20 Clinical Innovation in Precision Medicine
Johan Luthman, D.D.S., Ph.D., Senior Program Leader, Neuroscience & Brenda Yanak, Precision Medicine Leader, Clinical Innovation, Pfizer
Ophthalmology Research & Development Franchise Integrator, Merck This presentation will give examples of how Pfizer is innovating in the
Measuring pathophysiology associated factors, such as Aβ peptide clinical development space to aid in the advancement of precision medicine.
and tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid, and imaging brain function with
fluorodeoxyglucose PET or functional MRI, or pathology with amyloid 2:20-2:45 Discovering Oncology Biomarkers and Translating into
PET or MRI, allows us to detect and follow the progression of very early, Clinical Trials
pre-dementia stages of AD. While the use of pathophysiology associated Theresa Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Director, Exploratory and Translational
biomarkers allows pharmacodynamics monitoring of putative disease Sciences, Merck
modifying therapeutics, further qualification efforts are paving the way for This talk will present a platform for discovering oncology response
diagnostic and prognostic readouts. biomarkers using a large panel of tumor cell lines, validating them in
selected in vivo models, and refining and estimating biomarker prevalence
in a large human tumor reference dataset. The predictive signature


Track 1: Translational Biomarkers in Drug Development

will then be converted into an analytically validated assay that will be Acute kidney injury provides a significant challenge to drug development.
performed in a CLIA- or CAP-certified laboratory in order to enroll patients Recently, new biomarkers of acute kidney injury have been developed. In this
for clinical trials. The process will be illustrated by examples. presentation we will review the recent progress in applying emerging biomarkers
of acute kidney injury across pre-clinical species and human subjects.
9:20-9:45 Preparing for Safety Biomarkers to Support Clinical Trials
3:45-4:10 Biomarker Discovery for Immuno-Oncology Agents
Stephen T. Furlong, Ph.D., Safety Science Lead, AstraZeneca Patient Safety
Jason S. Simon, Ph.D., Director, Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers, Discovery
Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb Many new biomarkers are being considered for use in clinical trials to
monitor drug-induced organ toxicity. However, deciding which biomarkers
Tumor cells can use escape mechanisms to avoid or suppress the to use, selecting a vendor to perform the assays, establishing sample
natural immune response, ultimately resulting in tumor growth; in fact, handling protocols, preparing for statistical analysis of the data and
avoiding immune destruction is one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer. deciding how to use the data all represent significant challenges. This talk
Therefore, understanding and dismantling key immune escape mechanisms will review these topics, provide examples from specific biomarkers and
(“checkpoints”) is a key focus of immuno-oncology research. In concert with provide suggestions for overcoming some of these challenges.
identifying agents to regulate the immune checkpoint is working to understand
which tumor types and patient characteristics will respond best to this 9:45-10:10 Identifying Biomarkers of Kidney and Liver Toxicity by
treatment approach. This talk will review our strategy to identify biomarkers Integrating Toxicogenomics Datasets with Biological Networks
which help support clinical development and commercialization strategies. Philip Hewitt, Ph.D., Head, Early Non-Clinical Safety (Liver and Kidney), Merck Serono
4:10-4:35 Accelerating and Personalizing Clinical Trials with Candidate nephrotoxicity biomarkers were identified by interrogating
Biomarkers and Adaptive Design, the I-SPY 2 Example profiles from hundreds of publicly available toxicogenomics datasets,
Sonia Pearson-White, Ph.D., Scientific Program Manager, Oncology, The including datasets from the EU PredTox and Japanese TG-GATEs
Biomarkers Consortium, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health projects. Application of multiple bioinformatics approaches identified
43 significant candidates. These findings were corroborated by testing
I-SPY 2 is a unique clinical trial managed as a public/private partnership
model nephrotoxic compounds using whole genome expression profile
by the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium. I-SPY
experiments both in vivo and in vitro. This in silico approach greatly
2 employs an innovative adaptive trial design testing multiple drugs in
enriched candidates for those likely to be true biomarkers.
high-risk breast cancers in the neoadjuvant setting, and will advance the
understanding of which drugs work best with tumor types with different 10:10-11:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
biomarker profiles, and the drive toward personalized medicine.

4:35 Metabolomic Profiling for NMR Based Clinical Sponsored by Biomarker Collaborations and Consortia
Assay Development
11:00-11:25 From Promise to Progress: An Update on the Biomarkers
Thomas O’Connell, Ph.D., Senior Director, Assay Research &
Consortium
Development, LipoScience, Inc.
David Wholley, Director, Biomarkers Consortium, Foundation for the NIH
Metabolomic profiling yields a unique picture of the downstream phenotype
taking into account genetic influences as well as environmental factors such 11:25-11:50 Open Innovation in Biomarker Discovery: Experiences
as diet, lifestyle and the microbiome. In this presentation it will be shown how from Our Grants for Targets and Biomarkers Initiative
NMR technology is used in both the discovery and translation of biomarkers Khusru Asadullah, M.D., Vice President and Head, Global Biomarkers, Bayer
into the clinical laboratory. Applications include the prediction, diagnosis and HealthCare
prognosis of disease as well as the guidance of pharmaceutical interventions.
To combine expertise Bayer Healthcare has set up a novel open innovation
5:05-6:05 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing approach called Grants4Targets. After a review process, grants are
provided to perform focused experiments to further validate the proposed
6:05-9:05 Dinner Courses targets/biomarkers. In addition to financial support, specific know-how on
Fit-for-Purpose Biomarker Assay Development and Validation target validation and drug discovery is provided. Experienced scientists
Next-Generation Sequencing as a Clinical Test are nominated as project partners and, depending on the project, tools
or specific models are provided. More than 600 applications have been
(Separate registration required. See Page 4 for additional information.)
received and 77 projects granted so far.

Tuesday, May 7 11:50-12:15 pm Biomarker Discovery—The Power of Collaborative
Networks
7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation Sponsored by Duncan McHale, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Exploratory Development, UCB
Identifying Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Smoking- Pharma
Related Parenchymal Lung Disease (i.e. COPD and Clinically useful, predictive biomarkers have been very elusive despite
IPF) to Detect Subclinical Lung Disease the growth of Big Biology. Individual technology solutions are commonly
Ivan O. Rosas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine Division, Pulmonary & touted as being able to identify drug response biomarkers but are rarely
Critical Care Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School successful. It is likely that to be successful a network of collaborators will
be needed bringing together technology discipline experts with disease
biology experts. A case example is given in rheumatoid arthritis.
Biomarkers for Safety Assessment
12:15 – 1:00 Luncheon Presentation Sponsored by
Speaker to be Announced
8:30-8:55 Presentation to be Announced

8:55-9:20 Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury: From Pre-Clinical Species
to Human Patients
Jiri Aubrecht, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Senior Director, Safety Biomarker Group Lead,
Drug Safety Research & Development, Pfizer


Track 2: Clinical Assay Development

Sunday, May 5 10:55-11:20 Clinical Assay Development for Cancer Protein
Biomarkers: What Works and What Does Not Work
5:00-6:00 pm Conference Pre-Registration Samir Hanash, Ph.D., Program Head, Molecular Diagnostics, Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center
Monday, May 6 The breadth and depth of proteomics technologies for the discovery of
biomarkers has increased substantially over the past decade, covering
7:30-8:30 am Conference Registration and Morning Coffee a dynamic range of more than 7 logs in protein abundance. As a result,
numerous cancer biomarker candidates have emerged from discovery
8:30-8:40 Welcome Remarks from Conference Director
studies. There remains a need for the development of high-throughput
Julia Boguslavsky, Executive Director, Conferences, Cambridge Healthtech technologies that allow testing the utility of these biomarkers for their
Institute intended clinical application to meet regulatory requirements. Current
opportunities and challenges will be presented.
From Research Biomarkers to Clinical Assays
11:20-11:45 Will Regulation of Laboratory-Developed Tests Stifle
8:40-8:45 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks Innovation?
Alan Mertz, President, American Clinical Laboratory Association
8:45-9:10 Biomarkers and the Quest for Clinical Utility—Obstacles,
Challenges and Opportunities Laboratory developed tests (LDTs) are regulated by Federal law (CLIA),
Steven Gutman, M.D., MBA, Strategic Advisor, Myraqa state law, and industry standards established by the College of American
Pathologists. For many years, FDA has maintained that LDTs are medical
Over the past ten years there has been an explosive increase in the devices. FDA’s legal authority has been questioned, however, and
number of biomarker assays available for the study and evaluation of Congress, in July 2011, considered legislation that would enhance the
human disease. To ensure stakeholders are able to use this growing menu CLIA framework for regulating LDTs. FDA’s work plan for 2013 does not
of tests responsibly, there is a compelling need to understand the clinical mention new guidance on LDTs, but remains a possibility. Closing the LDT
utility of these assays. Unfortunately a surprising number of tests are pathway would have substantial effects on clinical laboratories, health care
plagued by inadequate information on clinical utility. This talk will focus on providers, and patients. This presentation will examine the role of LDTs in
obstacles, challenges and opportunities for addressing this problem. creating new tests, diagnosing rare diseases, and including the most up-
to-date clinical information in diagnostic tests.
9:10-9:35 Clinical Assay Development—The Process and
Considerations 11:45-1:20 pm Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
Herbert A. Fritsche, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and CSO, Health Discovery
Corporation
NGS in Clinical Use
The process for successful development of a clinical laboratory test
begins with a strict definition of the test concept and its clinical utility; 1:20-1:25 Chairperson’s Remarks
design of an accurate and robust assay for the analyte; analytical validation
followed by clinical validation; and lastly, translation of the new test from 1:25-1:50 College of American Pathologists’ Standards and Proficiency
the research lab to routine clinical use, which includes validation of the Testing for Next-Generation Sequencing for the Clinical Laboratory
new test outside of the research setting. Success of development is Nazneen Aziz, Ph.D., Director, Molecular Medicine, Transformation Program
defined as acceptance of the new test by the medical community as Office, College of American Pathologists
the “standard-of-care. ” The rapid and ongoing advances in the genetic test market, spurred by the
opportunities of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), necessitate many
9:35-10:00 Bridging Research and “Clinical” Assays in Pharmaceutical facets of the health care industry to work cohesively. Adoption of NGS as a
Research & Development clinical test requires the adoption of many processes and procedures, such
John L. Allinson, FIBMS, Vice President, Biomarker Laboratory Services, ICON as the analytic and clinical validation of the test, CLIA certification/CAP
Development Solutions accreditation, standards for reference materials, availability for proficiency
Many biomarker assays used in drug development are research assays testing, genetic counseling, and questions regarding reimbursement,
(i.e., not accredited diagnostic devices). This presentation will look at the informed consent and incidental findings. This talk will focus on the
following: basic validation experiments across assays in research and laboratory requirements developed at CAP for CLIA/CAP accreditation and
diagnostics; differences and assay evolution as methods progress through the plans for proficiency testing for NGS.
different uses of results data; the requirements for accreditation of
assays to be used in diagnostics; and a brief look at the development of a 1:50-2:15 Assuring the Quality of Next-Generation Sequencing in
companion diagnostic and its implications from the laboratory perspective. Clinical Laboratory Practice
Ira M. Lubin, Ph.D., Team Lead, Genetics Laboratory Research and Evaluation
10:00-10:30 Networking Coffee Break Branch, Division of Laboratory Science and Standards, Laboratory Science,
Policy, and Practice Program Office, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and
10:30-10:55 Key Considerations for Choosing and Transitioning a Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Research Grade Assay to the Clinical Setting
Integration of next-generation sequencing (NGS) into the clinical laboratory
Tammie C. Yeh, Ph.D., Molecular Biomarkers, Oncology Lead, Merck requires test validation, establishment of quality control procedures,
Developing a biomarker assay with the clinical perspective in mind is and the independent assessment of test performance by proficiency
critical to the success of the biomarker. Identifying/choosing a robust testing or alternate approaches. Existing regulatory requirements and
biomarker readout is as important as developing a robust analytical professional guidance do not adequately address these quality issues
assay to ensure clinical utility. It is important to understand the inherent for clinical NGS testing. This talk will describe the outcomes of a
biological variability as well as the clinical feasibility of a biomarker readout, national workgroup organized by the Centers for Disease Control and
both of which will depend on tissue type, tissue processing and the Prevention tasked to identify principles and develop guidance to promote
specific clinical setting. Both patient selection and pharmacodynamic good clinical laboratory practices for NGS and meet regulatory and
biomarkers will be addressed in this presentation. professional standards.



2:15-2:40 Clinical NGS: Validation, Reporting and Economics Tuesday, May 7
Seth Crosby, M.D., Director, Partnerships & Alliances, Washington University
School of Medicine 7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation Sponsored by

As NGS enters the clinic, matters of analytic and clinical validation are Identifying Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Smoking-
just the start of the medical director’s worries. How should results be Related Parenchymal Lung Disease (i.e. COPD and IPF) to Detect
quickly generated and communicated to a physician in a meaningful and Subclinical Lung Disease
actionable manner? What are the new rules for billing and reimbursement? Ivan O. Rosas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine Division, Pulmonary &
Critical Care Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

3:40-4:05 Exome Sequencing in a Clinical Setting to Guide Patient Choosing a Platform for Companion Diagnostics
Care
Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Human Genetics; Senior Director, 8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Emory Genetics Laboratory, Emory University
8:30-8:55 Validating Biomarker Assays as a Prelude to Companion
Advances in genomic medicine have made it necessary for clinical Diagnostic Development: Emerging Platform-Specific Considerations
laboratories to rapidly implement new technologies to guide patient Michael Burczynski, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biomarker Technologies,
care. Exome sequencing is rapidly being implemented across different Discovery Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb
specialties such as inherited diseases, cancer and infectious diseases. This
talk will focus on the clinical utility of exome sequencing in patient care Timely implementation of companion diagnostics alongside therapeutic
with real case examples. products has amplified the need to validate predictive biomarkers in
earlier phases of drug development. Today, biomarker strategies are more
4:05-4:30 Interpreting Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing Data: complex and require more diverse platforms than ever before. Ensuring
Current Challenges and Hope for the Future that analytical validation strategies for these exploratory predictive
Elaine Lyon, Ph.D., Medical Director, Molecular Genetics; Co-Medical Director, biomarker assays are aligned with the downstream requirements for
Pharmacogenomics, ARUP Laboratories; Associate Professor, University of full-blown companion diagnostic development is a critical activity that
Utah ultimately helps determine the efficiency with which targeted medicines
can be brought to market.
With the complexity of genomic scale sequencing (next-generation
sequencing or NGS) and the massive amounts of data obtained, 8:55-9:20 Choosing a Platform for Companion Diagnostic
informatics is essential. Two challenges in evaluating a variant are 1) is it Development
real and 2) is it clinically significant. Informatics allow alignment and variant
Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head, Research and Product Development,
calling (differences from a reference sequence), and sifting of probable Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson &
clinically insignificant variants. More challenging is prioritizing variants Johnson
that are likely to be associated with the clinical symptoms. In addition to
the symptom-guided analysis approach, NGS data can reveal variants in One of the early considerations in developing a companion diagnostic
genes related to drug metabolism that may affect efficacy or response. is choice of platform. Several factors, such as technical performance,
This presentation will discuss approaches to prioritize symptom-related regulatory and reimbursement path, and commercial access will be
variants as well as the potential of NGS data for companion diagnostics discussed in this context. Examples from the literature and case studies
or therapeutics. will be presented.

4:30-5:00 Assay and Kit Lot Bridging Sponsored by 9:20-9:45 Thoughts and Considerations for Choosing a Companion
Considerations for Single and Multiplex Biomarker Diagnostic Technology and Platform Delivery System
Analysis in Support of Clinical Studies Patrick Groody, Ph.D., Divisional Vice President, Research & Development,
Abbott
Afshin Safavi, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Bioanalytical Operations, BioAgilytix
Labs Choosing a diagnostic technology and testing platform for the
Biomarker analysis has become a common practice by many development of a companion diagnostic test can be a significant challenge.
pharmaceutical companies to help PK/PD modeling. The reliability of A wide variety of factors including the development time, capabilities of
outcomes is heavily influenced by the quality of the reagents. One of the potential partners and the ability of laboratories and physicians to access
challenges that bioanalytical labs face when running biomarker studies and perform the test routinely in a clinical setting are key factors in
is the control of lot-to-lot variability of critical reagents and commercial developing a companion diagnostic program. This talk will focus on variety
immunoassay kits. Case studies will be presented to highlight the key of strategies for developing commercial companion diagnostic tests.
bioanalytical considerations involved in running successful biomarker 9:45-10:00 Sponsored Presentation
analyses in support of clinical studies
5:00-6:00 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster or iquigley@healthtech.com)
Viewing
6:00-9:00 Dinner Courses





Multiplexed Assays 11:50-12:05 pm Diagnostic Classifiers for the Detection Sponsored by
of Bladder Cancer
11:00-11:25 Measurement of Telomere Repeats in Human Cancer Cell Mark Ruddock, Ph.D., Team Leader, Molecular Biology, Randox
Lines and Tissues Using a Monochrome Multiplex Quantitative PCR Pharma Services
Assay
Patients presenting with hematuria require investigations, including
Daniel Edelman, Ph.D., Facility Head, Clinical Molecular Profiling Core, National cystoscopy and imaging of their upper urinary tracts, to identify the source
Cancer Institute, NIH of bleeding. This is a significant health burden, which is set to increase
This talk will describe our efforts for the development and validation of a because of our aging population. Using biochip array technology, we have
QPCR multiplex assay to enable the quantitation of overall telomere length identified diagnostic classifiers for detecting bladder cancer.
(TL) in cancerous cell lines and tissues. A TL pattern between cancers 12:05-12:30 Development of Multiplexed Protein Pathway Activation Mapping
might provide valuable diagnostic or prognostic information to promote Clinical Assays for Personalized Cancer Therapy
a better understanding of the molecular or pathogenic characteristics of
Emanuel Petricoin III, Ph.D., Co-Director, The Center for Applied Proteomics and
specific cancer types. Molecular Medicine, George Mason University
11:25-11:50 Multiplexed Immunoassays on Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin- Cellular signaling pathways are a protein-based network, and the intended
Embedded Tissue Homogenates as Cancer Diagnostics drug effect is to disrupt aberrant protein phosphorylation-based enzymatic
Geoffrey Stuart Baird, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine, activity, and epigenetic phenomena. The reverse-phase protein microarray
University of Washington platform provides detailed information about the state of the cellular
“circuitry” from small samples. Measurements of dozens to hundreds of
Multiplex immunoassays (MIs) performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-
specific phosphorylated proteins that represent most of the targets for
embedded (FFPE) tissue homogenates offer several advantages
targeted therapeutics can be obtained at once from only a few thousand
over immunohistochemistry as cancer diagnostics. In contrast to
cells. This information helps select specific therapy(ies) tailored to the
immunohistochemistry, MIs offer absolute quantitation and improved
patient’s tumor activated protein “circuitry.”
sensitivity and specificity through the use of sandwich assay
geometries. Moreover, MI instrumentation has already been adopted 12:30-1:45 Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
in the clinical laboratory, and is much less expensive than a mass
spectrometer. MIs have been validated as a clinical diagnostic for pituitary
adenoma classification in FFPE tissue, with current work focused on
breast carcinoma.


Track 3: Cancer Tissue Diagnostics

Sunday May 5
, 10:55-11:20 Application of WSI in Consensus Review for Clinical Trials
Stephen M. Hewitt, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Investigator, Laboratory of Pathology,
5:00-6:00 pm Conference Pre-Registration National Cancer Institute, NIH
Whole Slide Imaging is an enabling technology within pathology, altering all
Monday May 6
, aspects of current practice. Consensus review processes for clinical trials have
previously been expensive, slow, and complicated by issues of reproducibility.
7:30-8:30 am Conference Registration and Morning Coffee Whole Slide Imaging and distributed review overcome many of these issues,
and provide new opportunities that have previously not been feasible.
Julia Boguslavsky, Executive Director, Conferences, Cambridge Healthtech Institute 11:20-11:50 Sponsored Presentations
(Opportunities available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
Whole-Slide Imaging and Digital Pathology or iquigley@healthtech.com)

8:40-8:45 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks 11:50-1:20 pm Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
8:45-9:10 Validation of Whole Slide Imaging in Pathology NGS in Clinical Use
Liron Pantanowitz, M.D., Associate Professor, Pathology and Biomedical
Informatics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Validation of whole slide imaging (WSI) is important to ensure that digitized 1:25-1:50 College of American Pathologists’ Standards and Proficiency
slides are at least equivalent to that of glass slides. The College of American Testing for Next-Generation Sequencing for the Clinical Laboratory
Pathologists (CAP) Pathology and Laboratory Quality Center convened a Nazneen Aziz, Ph.D., Director, Molecular Medicine, Transformation Program
panel to recommend validation requirements for WSI systems to be used Office, College of American Pathologists
for clinical diagnostic purposes employing a combination of evidence-based The rapid and ongoing advances in the genetic test market, spurred by the
evaluation of the literature, expert consensus and public commentary. The opportunities of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), necessitate many
recommendations are comprehensive and address technical, interpretation facets of the health care industry to work cohesively. Adoption of NGS as
components and administrative issues related to WSI in pathology providing a clinical test requires the adoption of many processes and procedures,
practical guidance for all types of laboratories who are using or plan to such as the analytic and clinical validation of the test, CLIA certification/CAP
utilize WSI systems for diagnostic clinical work. This session will educate accreditation, standards for reference materials, availability for proficiency
participants about WSI in pathology, the regulatory issues surrounding digital testing, genetic counseling, and questions regarding reimbursement,
pathology, and review the validation guidelines developed by the CAP . informed consent and incidental findings. This talk will focus on the
laboratory requirements developed at CAP for CLIA/CAP accreditation and
9:10-9:35 New Applications Utilizing Whole Slide Digital Imaging the plans for proficiency testing for NGS.
for Anatomic Pathology Inter- and Intra-Lab Peer Review and
Benchmarking Quality Assurance 1:50-2:15 Assuring the Quality of Next-Generation Sequencing in
Mark Priebe, MT(ASCP)SBB, Managing Director, QualityStar Quality Consortium Clinical Laboratory Practice
Although application of Whole Slide Digital Imagining (WSI) for primary Ira M. Lubin, Ph.D., Team Lead, Genetics Laboratory Research and Evaluation
diagnosis is limited by the FDA at this time, WSI is a significant enabling Branch, Division of Laboratory Science and Standards, Laboratory Science,
Policy, and Practice Program Office, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and
technology for anatomic pathology (AP) quality assurance (QA) initiatives
Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
both inter- and intra-laboratory. This presentation will review current AP/
QA programs and the application of WSI to a novel approach of gaining Integration of next-generation sequencing (NGS) into the clinical laboratory
longitudinal benchmarking data for quality review. The presentation requires test validation, establishment of quality control procedures, and
will focus on understanding design requirements for development and the independent assessment of test performance by proficiency testing
implementation, investment requirements, confidentiality considerations or alternate approaches. Existing regulatory requirements and professional
and methods to encourage pathologist participation and acceptance. guidance do not adequately address these quality issues for clinical NGS
testing. This talk will describe the outcomes of a national workgroup
9:35-10:00 Label-Free Infrared Spectral Histopathology: Diagnostics and organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tasked to
Prognostics identify principles and develop guidance to promote good clinical laboratory
Max Diem, Ph.D., Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University practices for NGS and meet regulatory and professional standards.
Infrared spectral histopathology is a method in which the biochemical 2:15-2:40 Clinical NGS: Validation, Reporting and Economics
composition of a histopathological sample is used, rather than
Seth Crosby, M.D., Director, Partnerships & Alliances, Washington University
morphometric criteria, to diagnose disease. To this end, thousands of School of Medicine
infrared spectra are collected from pixels about 10 µm on edge, and
analyzed to produce spectral images that detect abnormality based on As NGS enters the clinic, matters of analytic and clinical validation are just
variations in composition. The accuracy of this method is comparable to the start of the medical director’s worries. How should results be quickly
multi-panel immunohistochemistry. generated and communicated to a physician in a meaningful and actionable
manner? What are the new rules for billing and reimbursement?
10:00-10:30 Networking Coffee Break
10:30-10:55 Tumor Heterogeneity Assessed by Immunohistochemistry
of Multiplexed Protein Biomarkers 3:40-4:05 Exome Sequencing in a Clinical Setting to Guide Patient Care
Steve Schmechel, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pathology, University of Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Human Genetics; Senior Director,
Washington School of Medicine Emory Genetics Laboratory, Emory University

Intratumoral heterogeneity of protein expression may be linked to the Advances in genomic medicine have made it necessary for clinical
biological aggressiveness of tumors and selection of therapies. Analytical laboratories to rapidly implement new technologies to guide patient care.
and statistical methods to quantify heterogeneity are needed, particularly Exome sequencing is being rapidly being implemented across different
for multiplexed assays. This presentation will discuss novel methods to specialties such as inherited diseases, cancer and infectious diseases. This
measure tumor heterogeneity. talk will focus on the clinical utility of exome sequencing in patient care
with real case examples.


Track 3: Cancer Tissue Diagnostics

4:05-4:30 Interpreting Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing Data: 9:20-9:45 Molecular Profiling and Immunohistochemistry: The Interface
Current Challenges and Hope for the Future for Identification of Tissue of Origin in Occult Primary Cancers
Elaine Lyon, Ph.D., Medical Director, Molecular Genetics; Co-Medical Director, Charles R. Handorf, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Pathology and Laboratory
Pharmacogenomics, ARUP Laboratories; Associate Professor, University of Utah Medicine, University of Tennessee
With the complexity of genomic scale sequencing (next-generation Metastatic tumors with an uncertain primary site can be a difficult clinical
sequencing or NGS) and the massive amounts of data obtained, informatics problem. In thousands of patients every year, no confident diagnosis is ever
is essential. Two challenges in evaluating a variant are 1) is it real and 2) issued making standard-of-care treatment difficult. Newer gene expression
is it clinically significant. Informatics allow alignment and variant calling profiling (GEP) tests currently available to analyze these difficult-to-diagnose
(differences from a reference sequence), and sifting of probable clinically tumors are now being compared head-to-head with immunochemistry (IHC),
insignificant variants. More challenging is prioritizing variants that are likely which has long been held as a gold standard. The interface between these
to be associated with the clinical symptoms. In addition to the symptom- techniques will be discussed and practical approaches will be explored.
guided analysis approach, NGS data can reveal variants in genes related to
drug metabolism that may affect efficacy or response. This presentation will 9:45-10:00 Sponsored Presentation
discuss approaches to prioritize symptom-related variants as well as the (Opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
potential of NGS data for companion diagnostics or therapeutics. or iquigley@healthtech.com)
4:30-5:00 Sponsored Presentations
Tissue Biomarkers for Targeted Therapy
or iquigley@healthtech.com) 10:00-11:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
5:00-6:00 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing 11:00-11:25 In situ Measurement of Tissue Biomarkers for Companion
Diagnostics in Cancer
6:00-9:00 Dinner Courses
Fit-for-Purpose Biomarker Assay Development and Validation Kurt A. Schalper, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Pathology, Yale
School of Medicine
Measurement of tissue biomarkers has been shown to be a valuable tool
for companion diagnostics and is an essential component of personalized
cancer medicine. Several technical limitations surround commonly used
Tuesday May 7
, testing methods. In situ measurement of protein and mRNA transcripts
using automated quantitative immunofluorescence and novel hybridization
7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation Sponsored by techniques provides increased sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility.
Identifying Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Smoking- More quantitative approaches could open new opportunities for biomarker
Related Parenchymal Lung Disease (i.e. COPD and discovery and patient selection for anti-cancer treatments.
IPF) to Detect Subclinical Lung Disease
11:25-11:50 Biomarkers and Targeted Therapy for Kaposi Sarcoma
Ivan O. Rosas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine Division, Pulmonary &
Liron Pantanowitz, M.D., Associate Professor, Pathology and Biomedical
Critical Care Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Informatics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an enigmatic vascular neoplasm that arises from
Advances in Immunohistochemistry: the initial infection of an endothelial or progenitor cell by Kaposi Sarcoma
Guiding Therapy Decisions Herpesvirus/Human Herpesvirus-8 (KSHV/HHV8). KS represents an ideal
model to investigate the interplay between viral oncogenesis, angiogenesis
8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks and host immunity. The discovery of KSHV and related data about the
pathogenesis of KS has resulted in the identification of multiple novel
8:30-8:55 Quality Assurance/Quality Control for Immunohistochemistry
therapeutic targets. This talk will educate participants about KS biomarkers
in the Era of Personalized Medicine
being applied for diagnostic work, and also address newer therapeutic
Emina Torlakovic, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Laboratory Medicine and agents aimed at molecular targets being evaluated in clinical trials.
Pathobiology, University of Toronto
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) enables in situ detection of protein expression 11:50-12:15 pm Access to Human Tissue in the Age of Targeted
(right tissue, right cells, right cellular compartment) and evaluation of expression Therapies—Impact on Patient Care and Drug Development
levels. Biomarker discovery increases demands on biomarker testing by IHC. Carol Cheung, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Canadian University Health
IHC incorporates >20 parameters and requires expert interpretation. Key Network
challenges include clinical trial study design, tissue processing parameters Access to human tissue is paramount in this age of targeted therapies.
and parameters related to expert interpretation. IHC testing challenges remain Demand for this biological substrate, which is necessary for development
significant due to widely spread lack of awareness that IHC QA/QC needs to of innovative new tests and potentially blockbuster new therapies, is ever
evolve to match IHC intended use in personalized medicine. increasing. The distinction between the two broad classes of excised human
tissue, research tissue that resides in research biobanks and diagnostic
8:55-9:20 Detection of ALK Gene Rearrangement (ALK+) in Non-Small
tissue that resides in the clinical archives of institutional departments of
Cell Lung Cancers
pathology, is important because the rules governing access differ depending
Eunhee S. Yi, M.D., Consultant, Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic; Professor, on this fundamental classification.
Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Currently, ALK FISH is regarded as the gold standard to select the ALK+ 12:15-1:45 Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
patients eligible for crizotinib therapy, and FISH confirmation is required for
“on-label” crizotinib treatment. ALK IHC can be useful to limit the number
of patients to be tested for ALK FISH by identification of a high probability
population whose tumors are likely to be ALK+. Current status of ALK IHC will
be reviewed along with the data from a molecular study on discordant cases
for ALK status by ALK IHC and FISH in a Mayo Clinic Lung Cancer Cohort.


Track 4: Executive Summit: Companion Diagnostics

Sunday, May 5 10:55-11:25 Sponsored Presentations
5:00-6:00 pm Conference Pre-Registration or iquigley@healthtech.com)
Monday, May 6 11:25-11:50 Panel Discussion: Strategies for Regulatory and
Reimbursement Challenges in Commercialization of CDx
7:30-8:30 am Conference Registration and Morning Coffee
Panelists:
Chris Jowett, General Manager, Commercial Operations, Abbott Molecular
Julia Boguslavsky, Executive Director, Conferences, Cambridge Healthtech Institute Carol S. Palackdharry, M.D., MS, Medical Director, ActiveHealth Management;
Clinical Lead, Oncology Condition Analysis, Aetna
Commercialization of Companion Diagnostics Debra Rasmussen, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson
Andrew C. Fish, Executive Director, AdvaMedDx
11:50-1:20 pm Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
8:45-9:10 Companion Diagnostic Success: Biomarker Discovery to
Global Commercialization
Chris Jowett, General Manager, Commercial Operations, Abbott Molecular
Strategies for Rx-Dx Partnerships
Developing a successful global commercialization strategy for a companion 1:20-1:25 Chairperson’s Remarks
diagnostic can be a significant challenge. Critical capability factors need 1:25-1:50 Synchronizing Drug Development and Companion
to be discussed prior to entering into the partnership to minimize risk. Diagnostics: Challenges and Solutions
Understanding the IVD manufacturers’ capabilities to develop, manage the
George Bashirians, Ph.D., Director, Diagnostics Lead, Clinical Research and
required clinical trials, navigate the regulatory environment for approval,
Precision Medicine, Worldwide R&D, Pfizer
and drive sales and marketing efforts in all targeted countries for the
therapeutic launch is essential. This talk will focus on a variety of strategies Last year witnessed simultaneous regulatory approvals of Rx and Dx and
to support a successful launch of a companion diagnostic program. it is expected that such approvals will be more commonplace in the near
future. Synchronizing the drug development phases with those for Dx
9:10-9:35 The Payor’s Role in Personalized Medicine development presents many challenges. This talk will attempt to outline
Carol S. Palackdharry, M.D., MS, Medical Director, ActiveHealth Management; these challenges and offer solutions based on the Xalkori Rx/Dx program.
Clinical Lead, Oncology Condition Analysis, Aetna
1:50-2:15 Managing Pharma/Diagnostic Partnerships in Companion
Targeted cancer treatment is already changing the standard of care for many
Diagnostic Development
cancers. Personalized therapies are costly and generally have anti-tumor activity
only in patients with the specific targeted abnormality. Most targeted agents George A. Green IV, Ph.D., Director, Pharmacodiagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb
require pre-certification, with coverage dependent on appropriate results on The development of CDx assays minimally requires a partnership between a
approved companion diagnostic tests. Development of rigorous, evidence- pharmaceutical and a diagnostic company. It is not uncommon for the drug
based recommendations for usage of such tests, as well as new contracting to be developed through an alliance of two pharmaceutical companies, and
strategies with high-quality laboratories, will avoid wasted expenditures and diagnostic assay development programs may include separate companies
assure access to personalized therapies for all qualified patients. for design of the assay and development of the platform. To ensure effective
delivery of the CDx within this complex environment, highly matrixed teams
9:35-10:00 Meeting Evidence Demands for Diagnostics in an Evolving
must be formed to address strategic and technical issues, and to deliver a
Payment Environment
quality product coordinated with the drug development schedule.
Andrew C. Fish, Executive Director, AdvaMedDx
Payer reimbursement of diagnostics is critical to ensuring a robust 2:15-2:40 Presentation to be Announced
market for innovation. As advanced molecular diagnostics proliferate, a
growing appreciation of the importance of these tests is tempered by
rising payer concerns about coding transparency, evidence of clinical 3:40-4:10 Key Considerations for Selecting a Diagnostic Sponsored by
utility, and utilization of and payment for these tests. This talk will review Partner in Rx-Dx Program Commercialization
the reimbursement challenges faced by test developers and initiatives Jeremy Bridge-Cook, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research &
underway by payers and in Congress to address those challenges. Development, Luminex
10:00-10:30 Networking Coffee Break What are the optimal capabilities and expertise required of diagnostic
partners for the development and commercialization of companion
10:30-10:55 Creating a Companion Diagnostic Regulatory Strategy:
diagnostic devices? Key considerations include prototype assay
Biomarker to Commercial Test
development, analytical and clinical validation, regulatory filing, approval
Debra Rasmussen, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs, Johnson & Johnson and market launch. The speaker will discuss how each of these elements
Validated biomarkers (diagnostic tests) that can serve as intermediate or can impact the success of a companion diagnostic program.
surrogate endpoints to acquire rapid regulatory approval are needed to
help move research into the clinic. This is especially true if such biomarkers 4:10-4:25 Sponsored Presentation
could be measured easily, rapidly and were generally accessible. (Opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
Pharmaceutical companies could gain from biomarkers and diagnostic or iquigley@healthtech.com)
co-development efforts. In an increasingly challenging regulatory
environment, diagnostic led treatment can improve the chance that drugs
are reimbursed or approved in the first place. As companion diagnostics
these could also potentially identify patient benefits from a novel
therapeutic strategy earlier, assist in early discontinuation of ineffective
strategies, and identify active drugs more efficiently. New concerns could
include: 1) designing a definitive clinical study for a joint therapeutic–
diagnostic that allows for assessment of the therapeutic’s safety and
efficacy, as well as for validation of the clinical utility of the biomarker
guiding the therapeutic’s use or 2) regulatory bodies requiring a diagnostic
test before a prescription may be written for a patient.



4:25-5:00 Panel Discussion: Strategies for Initiating and Managing 11:00-12:00 pm Panel Discussion: Next-Generation CDx Platforms
Successful Rx-Dx Partnerships Panelists:
Panelists: Michael Burczynski, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biomarker Technologies,
George Bashirians, Ph.D., Director, Diagnostics Lead, Clinical Research and Discovery Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Precision Medicine, Worldwide R&D, Pfizer Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head, Research and Product Development,
George A. Green IV, Ph.D., Director, Pharmacodiagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
Jeremy Bridge-Cook, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, Luminex Elaine Lyon, Ph.D., Medical Director, Molecular Genetics; Co-Medical Director,
Pharmacogenomics, ARUP Laboratories; Associate Professor, University of Utah
5:00-6:00 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
Patrick Groody, Ph.D., Divisional Vice President, Quality Assurance and
6:00-9:00 Dinner Courses Operations, Abbott
12:00-1:45 Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
Biomarkers to Diagnostics
Tuesday, May 7
Sponsored by 1:50-2:15 Investing in Biomarkers and Turning Them into Diagnostics
7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation
Felix Frueh, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Third Rock Ventures
Identifying Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Smoking-
Related Parenchymal Lung Disease (i.e. COPD and The translation of biomarkers into useful clinical diagnostics requires the
IPF) to Detect Subclinical Lung Disease demonstration of clinical benefit and cost effectiveness. Investing in new
technology is not sufficient without the realization that discovery and development
Ivan O. Rosas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine Division, Pulmonary & of a new biomarker needs to include the demonstration that the biomarker makes
Critical Care Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School a difference in clinical outcomes or decision-making, preferably tested in the
environment in which ultimately a diagnostic will be used.
Choosing a Platform for Companion Diagnostics
2:15-2:40 From Biomarker Research to Diagnostic Development—Our
8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks Challenges
Yoshi Oda, Ph.D., President, Biomarkers and Personalized Medicine Core
8:30-8:55 Validating Biomarker Assays as a Prelude to Companion
Function Unit, Eisai
Diagnostic Development: Emerging Platform-Specific Considerations
Biomarkers play important roles for drug development as a part of
Michael Burczynski, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biomarker Technologies,
Discovery Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Bristol-Myers Squibb translational research. Several examples about biomarkers for 1) the
evidence of target engagement, 2) patient stratification, 3) drug efficacy
Timely implementation of companion diagnostics alongside therapeutic and 4) disease diagnostics will be discussed.
products has amplified the need to validate predictive biomarkers in earlier
phases of drug development. Today, biomarker strategies are more complex 2:40-3:45 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
and require more diverse platforms than ever before. Ensuring that analytical
validation strategies for these exploratory predictive biomarker assays
are aligned with the downstream requirements for full-blown companion Timeline for CDx Development
diagnostic development is a critical activity that ultimately helps determine 3:45-3:50 Chairperson’s Remarks
the efficiency with which targeted medicines can be brought to market.
3:50-4:15 Timeline Considerations for Incorporating a Companion
8:55-9:20 Choosing a Platform for Companion Diagnostic Development Diagnostic into the Drug Development Process
Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head, Research and Product Development, Luigi Catanzariti, Ph.D., Executive Director and Global Program Director,
Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson Diagnostics, Novartis
One of the early considerations in developing a companion diagnostic Rx/Dx co-development provides new opportunities for Pharma with respect to
is choice of platform. Several factors, such as technical performance, targeted therapeutics. It also comes with considerable clinical, technical and
regulatory and reimbursement path, and commercial access will be regulatory challenges. While both drug and diagnostic development processes
discussed in this context. Examples from the literature and case studies have their own rules and regulations, this new codependency requires
will be presented. significant adjustments in what can be considered quintessentially clinical
(Rx) and technical (Dx) development cultures. Mutual understanding and
9:20-9:45 Thoughts and Considerations for Choosing a Companion integration of both cultures early in the development process is an important
Diagnostic Technology and Platform Delivery System aspect for minimizing development timelines and achieving success.
Patrick Groody, Ph.D., Divisional Vice President, Research & Development,
Abbott 4:15-4:40 Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: The Timeline Challenge
Choosing a diagnostic technology and testing platform for the for Companion Diagnostics
development of a companion diagnostic test can be a significant challenge. Scott Patterson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Medical Sciences, Amgen
A wide variety of factors including the development time, capabilities of The identification of patients who are most likely to benefit from therapy
potential partners and the ability of laboratories and physicians to access is an important component of any drug development strategy. Other
and perform the test routinely in a clinical setting are key factors in than when the target of the therapeutic is also the diagnostic for patient
developing a companion diagnostic program. This talk will focus on variety selection, the generation of evidence to test a biomarker patient selection
of strategies for developing commercial companion diagnostic tests. hypothesis occurs during the drug development process. That data may
not become available until late in the development process. Strategies that
9:45-10:00 Sponsored Presentation
could be pursued to address this issue, with examples, will be presented.
or iquigley@healthtech.com) 4:40-5:05 Strategic and Computational Considerations in
Development of Complex Companion Diagnostics
10:00-11:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing Amir Handzel, Ph.D., Associate Director, Translational and Clinical Sciences, OSI
Pharma (Astellas)



Successful development of CDx requires special attention to diverse Rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease are severe immune
factors, as well as to their seamless integration. These challenges in diseases with significantly reduced quality of life for patients. Despite
developing validated complex diagnostic biomarkers have been highlighted advances in treatment with the evolution of antibody and recombinant
by several failures in the last decade. The universe of molecular entities protein based therapeutics, there remains a significant unmet clinical need
from which markers can be chosen is rich, comprising genetic mutations, for new therapies and integrated treatment solutions. At Janssen we are
the transcriptome, proteins and emerging non-coding RNA and epigenetic focused on transforming therapy in these diseases by applying systems
entities. Their extremely large numbers present difficult problems of pharmacology, precision medicine principles and developing companion
selection and validation in a statistically robust and consistent way. In order to diagnostics to create new treatment paradigms. Our objective is to
address them, an array of technical, as well as operational and organizational provide for higher response rates, deeper remission, early interception and
approaches must be employed. For example, the characteristics of the eventually prevention of these diseases. Progress toward these objectives
experimental platforms used to acquire data influence biomarker selection will be discussed.
and design and these in turn necessitate a multidisciplinary team structure. I
9:45-10:15 Complex microRNA Signatures of Response Sponsored by
will discuss these strategic and technical elements while pointing to pitfalls
and how to avoid them to reach the desired goal. and Resistance as Powerful Biomarkers
E. Robert Wassman, M.D., CMO, Rosetta Genomics
5:05-5:30 Companion Diagnostics: Challenges in Bridging the Chasm
between Diagnostics and Drugs 10:15-10:45 The Value of Diagnostics to Pharma: Sponsored by
Steven Gutman, M.D., MBA, Strategic Advisor, Myraqa Counting CTCs and R&D Dollars
An IVD companion diagnostic device is an in vitro diagnostic device Meredith Unger, Ph.D., MDA, Global Commercial Leader
that provides information essential for the safe and effective use of a Oncology, Janssen Diagnostics
corresponding therapeutic product. This pairing of products has generated The interdependence of drugs and diagnostics raises questions as to
intense interest because 1) it offers a clear model for the implementation where value lies and investments should be made. Janssen Pharma has
of personalized health care and 2) it may contribute to more informed an active oncology portfolio requiring diagnostic companions as well as
choices about how to manage the pipeline for new drugs. This talk will efforts to advance the field of dynamic biomarkers and circulating tumor
focus on potential roadmaps for use in drug-diagnostic co-development. cells (CTCs). This talk will describe the efforts being made to understand
the value of diagnostic assets to our drug portfolio including the impact of
6:00-9:00 Dinner Course investments in CTC platforms to improve our drug discovery efforts.
(Separate registration required. See Page 4 for additional information.) 10:45-11:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

11:30-11:55 Precision Medicine: Triumphs and Tribulations
Wednesday, May 8 Claudio Carini, M.D., Global Clinical Immunology and Biomarkers Lead,
Bioenhancement Development Unit, Pfizer
7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation or Morning Coffee The current model for drug development is failing. Failures often occur
(Sponsorship opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457 either during the phase II trials, where either the candidate drug did not
or iquigley@healthtech.com) meet the expected pharmacological requirements or the targeted drug
mechanism did not play a role in the patients population studied. Thus,
a new “personalized medicine” strategy is needed to develop predictive
Advancing Personalized Medicine biomarkers to assist in the decision making process during the pre-clinical
8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks phase of drug development and use biomarkers as companion diagnostics
for stratifying patients in hypothesis-driven clinical trials.
8:30-8:55 Personalized Health Care: ‘One Size Does Not Fit All’ Applies
to Patients and Products 11:55-12:20 pm Towards Personalized Medicine in Metabolic Diseases
M.J. Finley Austin, Ph.D., Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker Strategy Mark Broenstrup, Ph.D., Director, Biomarker and Diagnostics, R&D Diabetes
Director, AstraZeneca Division, Sanofi
The essence of Personalized Health Care (PHC) is identifying, Currently, more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. The
understanding and partioning drug response variation to improve clinical identification of the most effective drug(s) for the individual patient
outcomes. Existing PHC examples demonstrate diversity in source of is guided by a few selection criteria and a trial-and-error approach.
variation, path to market as well as market delivery and uptake. Current Consequently, the introduction of personalized approaches, accounting
examples will be used to elucidate the implications of differing sources for the heterogeneity of the disease, is regarded as a key enabler for
and degrees of variation, clinical utility, and timing of discovery all have for improved health care. An overview on biomarkers for assessing risk,
clinical trial design, regulatory strategy and market delivery. monitoring disease progression and predicting response to drugs is
provided, with a focus on beta cell imaging and systems biology solutions.
8:55-9:20 Molecular Subtyping of Patients for Drug Development Finally, major public-private partnerships aiming at personalized solutions in
Eric Lai, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head, Pharmacogenomics, Takeda diabetes will be highlighted.
Pharmaceuticals International
12:20-12:45 Translating Molecular Targets for Cancer Therapeutics
While the concept of drug-diagnostic co-development (CDx) has been
around for awhile, most companion diagnostics are still an afterthought Glen J. Weiss, M.D., Co-Head, Lung Cancer Unit, The Translational Genomics
and not an integrated component of drug development. To benefit from Research Institute (TGen); Director, Clinical Research, Cancer Treatment
Centers of America; CMO, CRAB-Clinical Trials Consortium
the full potential of CDx, we have to change the strategy of drug target
identification from the single target approach to systematic understanding The presentation will focus on why there is a push to individualize cancer
of a patient’s disease phenotypes. I will discuss some of the potentials therapy, past failures and successes, and how to define the tumor context
steps that we have made to the drug development process. of vulnerability (COV). The talk will also describe the steps from pre-clinical
to new drug application and show how to optimize the drug development
9:20-9:45 Co-Diagnostics in Autoimmune Disorders: Improving path with knowledge of biomarker-based COV.
Outcomes in RA and IBD
Mark E. Curran, Ph.D., Vice President, Immunology Biomarkers, Janssen 12:45 Close of Conference
Research & Development


Track 5: Biomarkers for Patient Selection

tuesday, May 7 Breast cancer is a heterogeneous group of malignancies driven by diverse
oncogenic pathways. Ongoing consortium efforts are to map breast cancer
12:15-1:45 Conference Registration subtypes at high resolution based on quantitative immunofluorescence
(QIF) profiling of druggable target proteins within carcinoma cells of a
Biomarkers to Diagnostics panel of 5,000 untreated primary breast cancer specimens. Progress
with prolactin-receptor-Jak-Stat pathway profiling will be highlighted using
1:45-1:50 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks complementary QIF technologies. Utility of resulting protein-based breast
cancer subclassification maps for rational recruitment of patients into
1:50-2:15 Investing in Biomarkers and Turning Them into Diagnostics biomarker-driven, adaptive clinical trials will be discussed.
The translation of biomarkers into useful clinical diagnostics requires the 5:05-5:30 Clinical Validation of Predictive Biomarkers and Next-
demonstration of clinical benefit and cost effectiveness. Investing in new Generation Personalized Medicine Treatment Strategies Incorporating
technology is not sufficient without the realization that discovery and Genetic Dynamics
development of a new biomarker needs to include the demonstration that the Robert A. Beckman, M.D., External Faculty, Center for Evolution and Cancer,
biomarker makes a difference in clinical outcomes or decision-making, preferably Helen Diller Family Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco;
Executive Director, Clinical Development Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma
tested in the environment in which ultimately a diagnostic will be used.
Development
2:15-2:40 From Biomarker Research to Diagnostic Development—Our The future of oncology drug development lies in personalized therapy
Challenges using predictive biomarkers. However, examples of the failure of predictive
Yoshi Oda, Ph.D., President, Biomarkers and Personalized Medicine Core biomarkers also exist. In these cases the use of biomarkers increased
Function Unit, Eisai the costs, complexity and duration of clinical trials, and narrowed the
Biomarkers play important roles for drug development as a part of treated population unnecessarily. We present methods to adaptively
translational research. Several examples about biomarkers for 1) the integrate predictive biomarkers into clinical programs in a data-driven
evidence of target engagement, 2) patient stratification, 3) drug efficacy manner, wherein these biomarkers are emphasized in exact proportion
and 4) disease diagnostics will be discussed. to the evidence supporting their clinical predictive value. Next-generation
personalized treatment strategies, which emphasize tumor heterogeneity,
2:40-3:45 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing evolutionary dynamics and possible future tumor states, will also
be presented.
Molecular Profiling of Tumor Heterogeneity to 6:00-9:00 Dinner Course
Guide Therapy Laboratory-Developed Tests

3:50-4:15 Liquid Biopsies to Monitor Response and Resistance to Wednesday, May 8
Targeted Therapies
Luis Alberto Diaz, M.D., Associate Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins 7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation or Morning Coffee
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sponsorship opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
The simplest hypothesis to account for the development of resistance or iquigley@healthtech.com)
to EGFR blockade is that rare cells with KRAS mutations pre-exist at low
levels in tumors with ostensibly wild-type KRAS genes. Although this
hypothesis would seem readily testable, there is no evidence in pre-
Advancing Personalized Medicine
clinical models to support it, nor is there data from patients. To test this 8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
hypothesis, we determined whether mutant KRAS DNA could be detected
in the circulation of 28 patients receiving monotherapy with panitumumab, 8:30-8:55 Personalized Health Care: ‘One Size Does Not Fit All’ Applies
a therapeutic anti-EGFR antibody. The results suggest that the emergence to Patients and Products
of KRAS mutations is a mediator of acquired resistance to EGFR blockade M.J. Finley Austin, Ph.D., Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker Strategy
and that these mutations can be detected in a non-invasive manner. They Director, AstraZeneca
explain why solid tumors develop resistance to targeted therapies in a The essence of Personalized Health Care (PHC) is identifying,
highly reproducible fashion. understanding and partioning drug response variation to improve clinical
outcomes. Existing PHC examples demonstrate diversity in source of
4:15-4:40 Application of Clinical Tumor Genotyping in Targeted Cancer
variation, path to market as well as market delivery and uptake. Current
Therapy
examples will be used to elucidate the implications of differing sources
Darrell R. Borger, Ph.D., Co-Director, Translational Research Laboratory, and degrees of variation, clinical utility, and timing of discovery all have for
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center clinical trial design, regulatory strategy and market delivery.
Multiplexed tumor genotyping has been offered as a physician-ordered
clinical test at a major U.S. cancer center. Over 3,000 patients have been 8:55-9:20 Molecular Subtyping of Patients for Drug Development
evaluated and these new capabilities have fostered a genotype-directed Eric Lai, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head, Pharmacogenomics, Takeda
approach to clinical trial design. By testing a broad spectrum of tumor Pharmaceuticals International
types, new molecular signatures have been revealed and mechanisms While the concept of drug-diagnostic co-development (CDx) has been
of de novo and acquired resistance to targeted therapies have been around for awhile, most companion diagnostics are still an afterthought
uncovered. This has provided the foundation for expanding clinical cancer and not an integrated component of drug development. To benefit from
genotyping approaches for personalizing cancer care. the full potential of CDx, we have to change the strategy of drug target
identification from the single target approach to systematic understanding
4:40-5:05 Quantitative Tumor Protein Profiling for Therapy-Relevant
of a patient’s disease phenotypes. I will discuss some of the potentials
Stratification of Breast Cancer Patients
steps that we have made to the drug development process.
Hallgeir Rui, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Cancer Biology, Medical Oncology and
Pathology; Scientific Director, Jefferson Breast Care Center; Program Leader,
Biology of Breast Cancer, Kimmel Cancer Center; Co-Director, Pathology
Translational Research Core, Thomas Jefferson University


Track 5: Biomarkers for Patient Selection

9:20-9:45 Co-Diagnostics in Autoimmune Disorders: Improving mechanism did not play a role in the patients population studied. Thus,
Outcomes in RA and IBD a new “personalized medicine” strategy is needed to develop predictive
Mark E. Curran, Ph.D., Vice President, Immunology Biomarkers, Janssen biomarkers to assist in the decision making process during the pre-clinical
Research & Development phase of drug development and use biomarkers as companion diagnostics
Rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease are severe immune for stratifying patients in hypothesis-driven clinical trials.
diseases with significantly reduced quality of life for patients. Despite 11:55-12:20 pm Towards Personalized Medicine in Metabolic Diseases
advances in treatment with the evolution of antibody and recombinant
protein based therapeutics, there remains a significant unmet clinical need Mark Broenstrup, Ph.D., Director, Biomarker and Diagnostics, R&D Diabetes
Division, Sanofi
for new therapies and integrated treatment solutions. At Janssen we are
focused on transforming therapy in these diseases by applying systems Currently, more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. The
pharmacology, precision medicine principles and developing companion identification of the most effective drug(s) for the individual patient
diagnostics to create new treatment paradigms. Our objective is to is guided by a few selection criteria and a trial-and-error approach.
provide for higher response rates, deeper remission, early interception and Consequently, the introduction of personalized approaches, accounting
eventually prevention of these diseases. Progress toward these objectives for the heterogeneity of the disease, is regarded as a key enabler for
will be discussed. improved health care. An overview on biomarkers for assessing risk,
Sponsored by monitoring disease progression and predicting response to drugs is
9:45-10:15 Complex microRNA Signatures of Response provided, with a focus on beta cell imaging and systems biology solutions.
and Resistance as Powerful Biomarkers Finally, major public-private partnerships aiming at personalized solutions in
E. Robert Wassman, M.D., CMO, Rosetta Genomics diabetes will be highlighted.

10:15-10:30 Sponsored Presentation 12:20-12:45 Translating Molecular Targets for Cancer Therapeutics
(Opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457 Glen J. Weiss, M.D., Co-Head, Lung Cancer Unit, The Translational Genomics
or iquigley@healthtech.com) Research Institute (TGen); Director, Thoracic Oncology, Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials at Scottsdale Healthcare; CMO, CRAB-Clinical Trials
10:30-11:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing Consortium
The presentation will focus on why there is a push to individualize cancer
11:30-11:55 Precision Medicine: Triumphs and Tribulations therapy, past failures and successes, and how to define the tumor context
Claudio Carini, M.D., Global Clinical Immunology and Biomarkers Lead, of vulnerability (COV). The talk will also describe the steps from pre-clinical
Bioenhancement Development Unit, Pfizer to new drug application and show how to optimize the drug development
The current model for drug development is failing. Failures often occur path with knowledge of biomarker-based COV.
either during the Phase II trials, where either the candidate drug did not
meet the expected pharmacological requirements or the targeted drug 12:45 Close of Conference

SPONSORSHIP, EXHIBIT & LEAD GENERATION OPPORTUNITIES
CHI offers comprehensive sponsorship packages which include presentation Looking for additional ways to drive leads to your sales team?
opportunities, exhibit space and branding, as well as the use of the pre and post-
show delegate lists. Customizable sponsorship packages allow you to achieve Cambridge Healthtech Institute can help!
your objectives before, during, and long after the event. Signing on early will
allow you to maximize exposure to hard-to-reach decision makers! We offer clients numerous options for custom lead generation programs to
Agenda Presentations address their marketing and sales needs, including:
Showcase your solutions to a guaranteed, highly-targeted audience. Package • Live Webinars • Podcasts
includes a 15- or 30-minute podium presentation within the scientific agenda, • White Papers • And More!
exhibit space, on-site branding and access to cooperative marketing efforts • Market Surveys
by CHI.
Breakfast & Luncheon Presentations Benefits of working with Cambridge Healthtech Institute for your lead
Opportunity includes a 30-minute podium presentation. Boxed lunches are generation needs:
delivered into the main session room, which guarantees audience attendance
and participation. A limited number of presentations are available for sponsorship • Your campaign will receive targeted promotion to Cambridge Healthtech
and they will sell out quickly. Sign on early to secure your talk! Institute’s unparalleled database of over 800,000 individuals, all of which are
involved in all sectors of the life sciences – lists can be segmented based on
Invitation-Only VIP Dinner/Hospitality Suite
geography, research area, title and industry.
Sponsors will select their top prospects from the conference pre-registration
list for an evening of networking at the hotel or at a choice local venue. CHI will • All custom lead generation programs are promoted through our experienced
extend invitations and deliver prospects. Evening will be customized according to marketing team that will develop and drive targeted campaigns to drive
sponsor’s objectives i.e.: awareness and leads to your lead generation program.
• Purely social • Plated dinner with specific
• Focus group conversation focus • For our webinar programs, we offer assistance in procuring speakers for
• Reception style your web symposia through our extensive roster of industry recognized
speakers across multiple disciplines within life sciences, as well as provide
Exhibit an experienced moderator and dedicated operations team who will
Exhibitors will enjoy facilitated networking opportunities with high-level coordinate all efforts.
conference delegates. Speak face-to-face with prospective clients and showcase
your latest product, service, or solution. • If choosing a white paper program, we can offer editorial experience and
provide an industry recognized author to write your white paper.
*Inquire about additional branding opportunities!

To customize your participation at this event, please contact:
Ilana Quigley – Business Development Manager
781-972-5457 | iquigley@healthtech.com



Tuesday, May 8 Breast cancer is a heterogeneous group of malignancies driven by diverse
oncogenic pathways. Ongoing consortium efforts are to map breast cancer
12:15-1:45 Conference Registration subtypes at high resolution based on quantitative immunofluorescence
(QIF) profiling of druggable target proteins within carcinoma cells of a
Biomarkers to Diagnostics panel of 5,000 untreated primary breast cancer specimens. Progress
with prolactin-receptor-Jak-Stat pathway profiling will be highlighted using
1:45-1:50 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks complementary QIF technologies. Utility of resulting protein-based breast
cancer subclassification maps for rational recruitment of patients into
1:50-2:15 Investing in Biomarkers and Turning Them into Diagnostics biomarker-driven, adaptive clinical trials will be discussed.
The translation of biomarkers into useful clinical diagnostics requires the 5:05-5:30 Clinical Validation of Predictive Biomarkers and Next-
demonstration of clinical benefit and cost effectiveness. Investing in new Generation Personalized Medicine Treatment Strategies Incorporating
technology is not sufficient without the realization that discovery and Genetic Dynamics
development of a new biomarker needs to include the demonstration that the Robert A. Beckman, M.D., External Faculty, Center for Evolution and Cancer,
biomarker makes a difference in clinical outcomes or decision-making, preferably Helen Diller Family Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco;
Executive Director, Clinical Development Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma
tested in the environment in which ultimately a diagnostic will be used.
Development
2:15-2:40 From Biomarker Research to Diagnostic Development—Our The future of oncology drug development lies in personalized therapy
Challenges using predictive biomarkers. However, examples of the failure of predictive
Yoshi Oda, Ph.D., President, Biomarkers and Personalized Medicine Core biomarkers also exist. In these cases the use of biomarkers increased
Function Unit, Eisai the costs, complexity and duration of clinical trials, and narrowed the
Biomarkers play important roles for drug development as a part of treated population unnecessarily. We present methods to adaptively
translational research. Several examples about biomarkers for 1) the integrate predictive biomarkers into clinical programs in a data-driven
evidence of target engagement, 2) patient stratification, 3) drug efficacy manner, wherein these biomarkers are emphasized in exact proportion
and 4) disease diagnostics will be discussed. to the evidence supporting their clinical predictive value. Next-generation
personalized treatment strategies, which emphasize tumor heterogeneity,
2:40-3:45 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing evolutionary dynamics and possible future tumor states, will also
be presented.
Molecular Profiling of Tumor Heterogeneity to 6:00-9:00 Dinner Course
Guide Therapy Laboratory-Developed Tests

3:50-4:15 Liquid Biopsies to Monitor Response and Resistance to Wednesday, May 8
Targeted Therapies
Luis Alberto Diaz, M.D., Associate Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins 7:30-8:05 am Morning Coffee
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
The simplest hypothesis to account for the development of resistance Secondary Resistance to Targeted Cancer Therapy
to EGFR blockade is that rare cells with KRAS mutations pre-exist at low
levels in tumors with ostensibly wild-type KRAS genes. Although this 8:05-8:30 Biomarkers and Trastuzumab Resistance
hypothesis would seem readily testable, there is no evidence in pre- Wen Jin Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Division of Monoclonal Antibodies,
clinical models to support it, nor is there data from patients. To test this Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA
hypothesis, we determined whether mutant KRAS DNA could be detected Trastuzumab is an anti-HER2 antibody indicated for the treatment of
in the circulation of 28 patients receiving monotherapy with panitumumab, HER2-positive breast cancer. Approximately two-thirds of HER2-positive
a therapeutic anti-EGFR antibody. The results suggest that the emergence breast cancers show primary resistance to trastuzumab treatment, and
of KRAS mutations is a mediator of acquired resistance to EGFR blockade a majority of patients who achieve an initial response to trastuzumab
and that these mutations can be detected in a non-invasive manner. They acquire resistance to trastuzumab within one year. However, there are
explain why solid tumors develop resistance to targeted therapies in a no clinically useful predictive biomarkers that can be used in conjunction
highly reproducible fashion. with HER2 expression to predict the outcome of trastuzumab treatment
in the HER2-positive breast cancer patients. We recently found that the
4:15-4:40 Application of Clinical Tumor Genotyping in Targeted Cancer phosphorylation of HER2-Y1248 was associated with the sensitivity of
Therapy trastuzumab treatment, suggesting that the phosphorylation status of
Darrell R. Borger, Ph.D., Co-Director, Translational Research Laboratory, HER2-Y1248 may be a predictive biomarker for trastuzumab treatment.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Multiplexed tumor genotyping has been offered as a physician-ordered 8:30-8:55 Resistance to MAPK Pathway Inhibitors in Melanoma:
clinical test at a major U.S. cancer center. Over 3,000 patients have been Insights and Future Challenges
evaluated and these new capabilities have fostered a genotype-directed Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cellular
approach to clinical trial design. By testing a broad spectrum of tumor Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute
types, new molecular signatures have been revealed and mechanisms The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a key
of de novo and acquired resistance to targeted therapies have been therapeutic target for melanoma due to its activation in the majority of
uncovered. This has provided the foundation for expanding clinical cancer tumors. Numerous small molecule inhibitors aimed at controlling MAPK
genotyping approaches for personalizing cancer care. activity, such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors, are currently undergoing
clinical investigation. However, their therapeutic success is limited by
4:40-5:05 Quantitative Tumor Protein Profiling for Therapy-Relevant the development of drug resistance. To develop effective therapies for
Stratification of Breast Cancer Patients melanoma patients, it is critical to uncover the mechanisms of resistance
Hallgeir Rui, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Cancer Biology, Medical Oncology and to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. This presentation will discuss recent studies
Pathology; Scientific Director, Jefferson Breast Care Center; Program Leader, on the molecular mechanisms of resistance to inhibitors of the MAPK
Biology of Breast Cancer, Kimmel Cancer Center; Co-Director, Pathology pathway and potential strategies to treat drug-resistant melanomas.
Translational Research Core, Thomas Jefferson University



8:55-9:20 A Pre-Clinical Model of BRAF Inhibitor Resistance in 12:00-12:25 A20 Ubiquitin E3 Ligase is a Biomarker of the Cancer
Melanoma Reveals a Novel Approach to Forestall Drug Resistance Stem Cell Resistance to Apoptotic Drugs
Meghna Das Thakur, Ph.D., Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Novartis Institutes Chunhai “Charlie” Hao, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Neuropathology
for BioMedical Research Attending, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory
University School of Medicine
BRAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib have shown promising effects in
patients with mutant BRAF(V600E) melanomas, but the tumors generally The TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand)
develop resistance. Interestingly, the vemurafenib-resistant melanomas apoptosis pathway has emerged as a cancer therapeutic target; however,
become drug dependent for their continued proliferation, such that Phase II trials recently completed have showed limited if any antitumor
cessation of drug administration leads to regression of established drug- activities of TRAIL pathway-targeted therapies. Molecular and functional
resistant tumors. Thus, a discontinuous dosing strategy exploiting the examination of patients’ glioblastoma tissues and derived cancer stem
fitness disadvantage shown by drug-resistant cells in the absence of the cells reveals the resistance mechanism by which the ubiquitin E3 ligase
drug forestalls the onset of lethal drug-resistant disease. A20 mediated poly-ubiquitination inhibits the cleavage of apoptosis-
initiating caspase-8 and the initiation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The
9:20-9:45 Non Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms of Resistance against study suggests that the full characterization of patients’ cancer tissues
Anti-EGFR Therapy and derived cancer stem cells can predict the cancer responsiveness
Janghee Woo, M.D., Albert Einstein Medical Center; Recipient of AACR- to treatment and thus should be a critical pre-clinical trial step in
GlaxoSmithKline Clinical Cancer Research Scholar Award and Dana-Farber/ drug development.
Harvard Cancer Center Award
Our findings suggest that stroma-derived MMP9 may help tumors bypass 12:25-12:50 pm Molecular Determinants of Hormone-Refractory
common mutational mechanisms for constitutive growth factor pathway Prostate Cancer
activation and confer resistance to anti-EGFR therapy through activation of Atish Choudhury, M.D., Instructor in Medicine, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber
the ERBB2/ERK/JUN pathway. Stromal MMP9 expression may therefore Cancer Institute
have value as a predictive marker for cetuximab response and in stratifying To identify novel genes that can confer androgen independence to
patients before treatment. prostate cancer cells in vivo, we performed an unbiased screen for kinases
conferring androgen-independent tumor formation to androgen-dependent
9:45-10:30 Sponsored Presentations transformed prostate epithelial cells in vivo. These kinases are likely
(Opportunities available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457 or to activate signaling pathways that are relevant for conferring castrate
iquigley@healthtech.com) resistance in patients with advanced prostate cancer, and inhibiting these
genes is likely to result in inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and/or
10:30-11:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing restoration of hormone sensitivity. Integration of our ambitious functional
studies with gene expression and sequencing data in CRPC from tumor
11:30-11:55 Managing Secondary Drug Resistance in the Clinic: The samples being generated through collaborations between DFCI and the
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Approach Broad Institute will provide us a more comprehensive understanding of the
Maria E. Arcila, M.D., Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering development of castrate resistance and novel targets for therapy.
Cancer Center
12:50-1:15 Impact of microRNAs in Chemoresistance
Resistance to Various Therapies: Jingfang Ju, Ph.D., Co-Director, Translational Research, Pathology, Stony Brook
University
Cancer Does Not Discriminate
Non-coding miRNAs contribute to both intrinsic and extrinsic
11:55-12:00 Chairperson’s Remarks chemoresistance mechanism, particularly in colon cancer stem cells.
We first discovered several miRNAs suppressing the expression of both
thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase to impact 5-FU and MTX
sensitivity. The expression of miR-215 was significantly associated with
colorectal cancer patient survival. Our recent studies also show miRNAs
impact intrinsic apoptotic pathways and autophagy. We believe miRNA
based therapeutics, diagnosis and prognosis may emerge in the near
future to benefit patients.

1:15 Close of Conference

Lead Sponsoring Publications Lead Media Partners

Sponsoring Publications Media Partners Web Partner


Track 7: Exosomes and Microvesicles as Biomarkers and Diagnostics

Tuesday, May 8 6:00-9:00 Dinner Course
12:15-1:45 Conference Registration

Exosome Biomarkers in Drug Development
Wednesday, May 8
7:30-8:15 am Breakfast Presentation or Morning Coffee
1:50-2:15 Exosomes as Biomarkers for Translational Medicine (Sponsorship opportunity available. Contact Ilana Quigley at 781-972-5457
Holly Hilton, Ph.D., Head, Disease and Translational Genomics, Hoffmann-La or iquigley@healthtech.com).
Roche; Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University
of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey
The need for new, relevant biomarkers for translational drug discovery
Exosomes as Disease Markers
research is critical. Exosomes are small microvesicles secreted by a wide 8:25-8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
range of mammalian cell types under normal and pathological conditions.
The unique signature of exosomal membrane and cytoplasmic proteins as 8:30-8:55 Salivary Exosomes and Biomarkers Development
well as mRNAs and miRNAs can reveal the cell of origin and the condition David T.W. Wong, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., Professor, Associate Dean, Research, UCLA
of those cells. Isolation and profiling of exosomes from accessible patient School of Dentistry and Director of Dental Research Institute
biofluids, such as urine, blood, BALF and CSF make them ideal candidates
, Extracellular RNA is an emerging concept in cellular communication
as biomarkers. Examples of their utility as disease biomarkers of chronic and biomarker development. Salivary extracellular RNA, microRNA and
kidney disease and Alzheimer’s as well as possible applications of patient snoRNA have recently been shown to be contained within exosomes
stratification will be discussed. The current state of challenges to the and can be developed to be discriminatory biomarkers for oral as well as
widespread use of fluid-based biomarkers will be explored. systemic diseases.
2:15-2:40 Investigation of Microparticles as Potential Translatable 8:55-9:20 Circulating Exosomes in Liver Disease
Biomarkers of Vascular Injury
Gyongyi Szabo, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Gastroenterology, University of
Sharon Sokolowski, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Pfizer Global Research & Massachusetts Medical School
Development
microRNAs (miRNAs) are fine tuners of diverse biological responses and
Endothelial cells (EC) are thin, flattened cells that line blood and lymph vessel are expressed in various cell types of the liver. They can also serve as
walls. Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are small vesicles (0.1-1 mm) that are biomarkers of liver damage and inflammation. We studied miRNA-122 that
released into circulating blood from activated, injured or apoptotic endothelial is abundant in hepatocytes and miR-155, -146a and -125b that regulate
cells and are found at elevated levels in a number of diseases associated with inflammation in immune cells in mouse models of various types of liver
vascular/endothelial dysfunction. The EMPs are being investigated as potential diseases and found that serum/plasma miR-122 correlated with ALT
translatable biomarkers of drug-induced vascular injury. increases in the liver damage. miR-155, a regulator of inflammation, was
increased in serum/plasma liver injury associated with inflammation.
Depending on the type of liver injury, circulating miRNAs showed
3:45-4:10 Utilization of Next-Gen Genomics Technologies for association either with the exosome-rich or protein-rich compartments.
Unraveling Exosomal Biomarker Potential Our results suggest that circulating miRNAs may serve as biomarkers
Saumya Pant, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Merck to differentiate between hepatocyte injury and inflammation and the
exosome versus protein association of miRNAs may provide further
4:10-4:35 CNS Exosomes and the Art of Eavesdropping specificity to mechanisms of liver pathology.
Reyna Favis, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of
Johnson & Johnson 9:20-9:45 Microvesicles: Linking the Bone Marrow and Endothelium in
Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Gaining insight into both genomic changes and differences in the central
Jason M. Aliotta, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical
nervous system of living humans is currently pursued via investigation of
School, Brown University
post mortem brain tissue and lymphocytes from living donors. Analyses
of both tissue types suffer from numerous caveats. There is an urgent Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent potentially important mediators of
need to develop non-invasive methods that can accurately report temporal cell-to-cell communication and, depending on their source, facilitate tissue
changes, as well as inter-individual differences, in the CNS that may repair or remodeling. We’ve demonstrated that EVs isolated from mice
elucidate neurological and neuropsychiatric disease and drug response. with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) induce features
of PH in normal mice. This may be due to EV-induced apoptosis resistance
4:35-5:00 Technology Assessment for Evaluation of Exosomal of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells or EV-induced differentiation
microRNA as Novel Biomarkers of marrow cells into progenitor cells which, in turn, induce vascular
Shidong Jia, Ph.D., Scientist, Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech remodeling. Conversely, we have found that mesenchymal stem cell-
derived EVs may reverse monocrotaline-induced PH.
Dr. Jia’s lab has developed working procedures to evaluate exosomal
microRNA as novel biomarkers for cancer prognosis, prediction and patient 9:45 Validation of Exosomes as Tools for Biomarker Sponsored by
stratification. In particular, their work has refreshed current practice and Discovery and Diagnostic Development
demonstrated a new approach for studying microRNA signature in patient
Johan Skog, Ph.D., CSO, Exosome Diagnostics, Inc.
blood samples.
Exosomes, or microvesicles, are shed by all cells, into all biofluids, as an
5:00-5:25 The Exosome Factor in Cancer active process of communication within the body. Exosomes are lipid
Lorraine O’Driscoll, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pharmacology; Director, Research, bilayer protected vesicles which contain RNA (mRNA, microRNA, and
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin other small RNAs), DNA, and protein from the cell of origin, making them
an ideal source for biomarker discovery and diagnostic development.
Our research at Trinity College Dublin supports exosomes cargo having
Studies have shown that biomarkers (ex: BRAF TMPRSS-ERG, EGFR)
,
relevance as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Evidence
found in tissue can be detected in exosomal isolations of plasma, urine, or
indicates they are also causative in cancer spread and drug resistance.
CSF allowing for real-time monitoring of a disease.
,
Here we will discuss examples of this research in relation to breast cancer
and prostate cancer.


Track 7: Exosomes and Microvesicles as Biomarkers and Diagnostics

10:15 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity available. Contact Ilana 12:25-12:50 Tumor-Derived Microvesicles: Biology and Clinical Potential
Quigley at 781-972-5457 or iquigley@healthtech.com) Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, Ph.D., Professor, Biological Sciences, University of
Notre Dame
Tumor-derived microvesicles (TMVs) are heterogeneous membrane-bound
sacs that are shed from tumor cells into the extracellular environment.
Exosomes as Novel Cancer Biomarkers The formation of these shed vesicles likely involves the vertical trafficking
of intracellular cargo to the cell surface. The complexity of bioactive
cargo contained in TMVs suggests multi-pronged mechanisms by which
11:35-12:00 pm The Exosome Platform as a Real-Time Tumor Status Monitor shed TMVs can condition the extracellular milieu to facilitate disease
Douglas D. Taylor, Ph.D., Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of progression. It also demonstrates the potential to translate this knowledge
Louisville School of Medicine into innovative approaches for cancer diagnostics and therapy.

12:00-12:25 Customized Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer Microvesicles 12:50-1:15 Exosome Biomarkers of Brain Tumors
Dominik Duelli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Fred H. Hochberg, M.D., Associate Professor, Neurology, Massachusetts
Pharmacology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, Chicago General Hospital
Medical School We explore technology for detection of plasma and CSF exosomal
Breast cancer cells, unlike normal cells, release a heterogeneous mutations specific to brain tumors. The analytics for mutations EGFrvIII
population of circulating microvesicles. Resolving this heterogeneity and IDH1.132 offer the potential to provide a diagnostic biomarker for
suggests that individual microvesicle subclasses have different subcellular low grade and high grade gliomas. An eighteen member consortium,
origin, different contents, and different destinations. Each subclass collaborating with the ABC2 Foundation and the company Exosome
contains mutually exclusive, functional marker microRNA species, and Diagnostics, will validate the sensitivity of these biomarker assays. The
some proteins with different functions in docking and lysis resistance in presentation will include discussion of pre-clinical detection, SOPs for
blood plasma. Additionally, organ-site of metastasis influences the ratio of specimen handling and the rationale for use of these biomarkers.
these proteins, suggesting that these differences could be used to detect
the presence of malignant cells in the body. 1:15 Close of Conference

Conference Hotel: HOTEL & TRAVEL
Loews Philadelphia Hotel INFORMATION
1200 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-627-1200
Discounted Room Rate: $229 s/d
Discounted Room Rate Cut-off Date:
April 8, 2013
Please visit our conference website
to make your reservation online or
call the hotel directly to reserve your
sleeping accommodations. You will need
to identify yourself as a Cambridge
Healthtech Institute conference attendee
to receive the discounted room rate with
the host hotel. Reservations made after
the cut-off date or after the group room
block has been filled (whichever comes
first) will be accepted on a space and
rate-availability basis. Rooms are limited,
so please book early.

Flight Discounts: Top Reasons to Stay at The Loews Philadelphia
Special discount rentals have been established with American Airlines • Minutes from Amtrak 30th Street Station and 20 minutes from
for this conference. Philadelphia Airport
• Call American Airlines 1-800-433-1790 and use Conference code 8353BL.
• Complimentary wireless internet in your guest room
• Go to www.aa.com/group and enter Conference code 8353BL in promotion
discount box. • Close to many of Philadelphia’s historical sites, including the Liberty
Bell and Independence Hall
• Contact our dedicated travel agents at 1-877-559-5549 or chi@protravelinc.com.
• Steps from Reading Terminal Market, which offers an exhilarating selection
Car Rental Discounts: of baked goods, meats, poultry, seafood, produce, flowers and more
Special discount rentals have been established with Hertz for this conference. • Pet-friendly accommodations including specialty pet menus, gifts
• Call Hertz 1-800-654-3131 and use our Hertz Convention Number (CV): 04KL0003 upon arrival and dog-walking services
• Go to www.hertz.com and use our Hertz Convention Number (CV): 04KL0003 • Located in the historic PSFS Building: A 20th Century Masterpiece


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