2023 Agenda Day 1
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DAY 1 - November 8
7:30 am Registration & Morning Networking Coffee
8:20 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Spearheading Liquid Biopsy Development for Early Screening to Tailor Personalized Medicines
8:30 am The Rise of Liquid Biopsy Assays & the Promise of Early Screening for Improved Patient Outcomes
Synopsis
- The number of liquid biopsy assays are increasing as are the trials for their evaluation
- Assays have increasing sensitivity
- Early screening will result in better outcomes for cancer patients
9:00 am Introducing an Improved Tumor Fraction to Measure ctDNA Levels, & How to Incorporate ctDNA Monitoring to Gain Early Insights & Advance Clinical Research
Synopsis
- Data on the value of tumor fraction for drug development and the need to move beyond median variant allele frequency (VAF) as a measure of ctDNA
- Current use cases for ctDNA monitoring in early-stage disease and clinical research
- How different approaches to ctDNA monitoring can meet the needs for those use cases, and the benefits of considering a portfolio approach
9:30 am Panel Discussion on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I): Expediting Liquid Biopsy Development & Validation for Early Screening to Advance Equity in Personalized Treatment
Synopsis
- What strategies can be implemented to address disparities in early cancer screening using liquid biopsies?
- What steps are being taken to validate liquid biopsy assays across diverse patient populations, considering variations in genetic and molecular profiles, to tailor inclusive personalized treatment strategies?
- How to promote diversity and inclusion in research related to liquid biopsy development and validation?
- What are the benefits of capturing a diverse and inclusive genetic and molecular characteristics for advancing equity in early screening?
10:00 am Session Reserved for Bio-Techne
10:30 am Morning Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
An opportunity to network, discuss and collaborate with LBx leaders passionate about accelerating patient access to early and affordable detection and surveillance tests
Benchmarking Standards to Improve Clinical Utility of CTCs & ctDNA for Patient Monitoring
11:30 am Harmonizing MRD Assessment Using ctDNA to Enable Clinical Implementation
Synopsis
- Emerging data to highlight the clinical utility of ctDNA-based MRD assessment
- Current technical and clinical gaps for clinical implementation
- Need for cross-functional consortium to develop pathways to clinical implementation
12:00 pm Session Reserved for Personalis
12:30 pm Standardizing New CTC Assays for Patient Monitoring & Personalized Treatment
Synopsis
- Demonstrating the value of CTC assays for monitoring and surveillance
- Delving into the power of unbiased isolation of CTCs using standardized methods
- Exploring the clinical application of CTCs for disease surveillance and patient monitoring
1:00 pm Lunch & Networking Break
1:30 pm
Unifying Screening Frameworks to Advance Multi-Cancer Early Detection for Intervention at Treatable Stages
Chair:
Chair:
2:00 pm Collaborating to Develop Standards & Frameworks for Acceleration of Clinical Implementation of LBx
Synopsis
- Understanding the critical need for and benefits of stakeholder collaboration in the LBx space
- BLOODPAC’s role as a consortium of assay developers, pharmaceutical companies, academic research centers, not-for-profits, patient advocacy groups, payers, and regulatory bodies
- BLOODPAC’s work in establishing lexicons, validation protocols, data collection standards, and frameworks via community consensus
2:30 pm Session Reserved for Grail
3:00 pm Panel Discussion: Creating Consensus on Lexicons, Standards & Frameworks for MCED and MRD Tests for Community Benefit
Synopsis
- What are the current standards and frameworks in development for MCED and MRD testing?
- What awareness, education and access coordination initiatives exist for MCED and MRD testing?
- What is the importance of standardizing terms in emerging areas of liquid biopsy use for stakeholders who use or interpret these tests?
- How will standardizing early detection strategies impact the mitigation of the morbidities resulting from rare and currently unscreened cancers?
- What are key next steps in advancing implementation of MCED and MRD tests?
3:40 pm Afternoon Networking Break
Unravelling Liquid Biopsy’s Promise to Monitor CNS Disease to Establish Clinical Validity
4:10 pm Developing a Liquid Biopsy Using the Cerebral Spinal Fluid for Clinical Diagnostics to Establish Validity
Synopsis
- Recognizing LBx as an emerging standard-of-care for patients with brain tumors
- Exploring the utilization of liquid biopsies in paediatric brain tumors
- Establishing clinical validity and standards of using CSF samples
4:40 pm Empowering Precision Ophthalmology: The Role of LBx
Synopsis
- Demonstrating LBx Applications in Retinoblastoma and Uveal Melanoma: Showcasing specific examples of how LBx is utilized in the diagnosis and management of retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma, highlighting its effectiveness in detecting genetic alterations and guiding personalized treatment decisions
- Future Potential: LBx for Intraocular Disease Diagnosis and Prognosis, Companion Diagnostics (CDx): Discussing the promising role of LBx in the future of ophthalmology, particularly in diagnosing and prognosticating intraocular diseases. Emphasizing the potential for LBx to serve as companion diagnostics, aiding in treatment selection and monitoring therapeutic responses
- Collaboration for Advancing Next-Generation Ophthalmology: Highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts between various stakeholders in ophthalmology, including healthcare professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies. Focusing on the facilitation of new drug development and personalized medicine approaches for treating intraocular diseases through the utilization of LBx technologies