The Boston Cancer Summit & Seattle Cancer Summit. Two Can’t-Miss Events

Cancer wasn’t that exciting to write about when I started 15 years ago. It is now.

Survival rates for several forms of cancer are going in the right direction. Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, new information on genes and proteins that redefine the molecular nature of malignancy? It’s coming together. The science is bursting with creativity, and moving fast. I’m thinking and writing and talking about it every day as part of the Everest Climb to Fight Cancer campaign at Fred Hutch.

Now it’s your turn to engage — up close and in person — with many of the bright people at companies who are moving the needle against cancer.

I’m fired up to announce today a pair of back-to-back half-day forums that will make for an extremely potent mix of people and ideas. The Seattle Cancer Summit will be at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on Mar. 5. The Boston Cancer Summit will be at Sanofi Genzyme’s flagship office in Kendall Square on Mar. 7.

See the event summary, the stellar assembly of speakers, and an outline of the programs below. These events will be idea factories and superb networking opportunities, and they will also bring resources to a good cause. All ticket proceeds, and all sponsorship proceeds, will go to the Everest Climb to Fight Cancer charity fundraising campaign for science at Fred Hutch.

Space is limited at both of these venues, and tickets will go fast. Don’t dilly-dally.

Get tickets for the Seattle Cancer Summit on Mar. 5 here.

Get tickets for the Boston Cancer Summit on Mar. 7 here.

Thank you for all the good work you do in the fight against cancer.

 

The Boston Cancer Summit

Follow the news and you know: Scientists are more than just chipping away at cancer. They are kicking down the barricades. Cell therapies are, at long last, delivering lasting remissions in a few indications. Small molecules and antibodies with new mechanisms of action — sometimes in clever combination — are raising the bar, making cancer more of a chronic and tolerable disease. Underlying information on gene mutations, dysregulated protein networks and the tumor microenvironment provide a vivid glimpse of malignancy at the molecular level, and a wellspring for new therapeutic ideas. Much of this progress is occurring here in Massachusetts. Hear from the leaders in Big Pharma, venture capital, public biotech companies, and emerging startups at The Boston Cancer Summit, Mar. 7. All proceeds go to the Mt. Everest Climb to Fight Cancer campaign at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

TIME: 12:30 pm-6 pm

DATE: Mar. 7

PLACE: Sanofi Genzyme, 500 Kendall St., Cambridge, MA

Confirmed speakers:

• Bruce Booth, partner, Atlas Venture
• Jay Bradner, president, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research
• Greg Verdine, Erving Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University
• Robert Urban, global head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
• David Berman, SVP, I-O Franchise Head, AstraZeneca/MedImmune
• Barbara Weber, CEO, Tango Therapeutics
• Garry Menzel, CEO, TCR2 Therapeutics
• Nancy Simonian, CEO, Syros Pharmaceuticals
• Jason Gardner, CEO, Magenta Therapeutics
• Hugh O’Dowd, CEO, Neon Therapeutics
• David Meeker, CEO, KSQ Therapeutics
• Alexis Borisy, partner, Third Rock Ventures
• Kush Parmar, managing partner, 5AM Ventures
• John Evans, venture partner, ARCH Venture Partners
• Michael Gilman, CEO, Obsidian Therapeutics
• Jo Lager, VP, head of development, Sanofi Oncology
• Melanie Nallicheri, CBO, Foundation Medicine
• Kevin Conroy, CEO, Exact Sciences
• Beth Trehu, CMO, Jounce Therapeutics
• David Shaywitz, senior partner, Takeda Ventures

TICKETS:

Advance registration: $295

At the Door: $350

**First 50 to arrive will get free signed paperback copies of “Hood: Trailblazer of the Genomics Age.”**

Sponsors:

Summit Sponsor:

• Sanofi

South Col Sponsor:

• 10X Genomics

Advanced Base Camp Sponsors:

• Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Base Camp Sponsors:

• 5AM Ventures
• Sofinnova Ventures
• ARCH Venture Partners
• EBD Group
• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
• Loncar Investments

PROGRAM

 

12:30 pm Registration

1:10 pm Welcome. Sanofi rep.

1:15 pm. Greg Verdine. Erving Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University. Opening Keynote. New Modalities Aiming for Elusive Cancer Targets

1:35 pm Emerging Cancer Drug Developer Presentations (10 minutes each)

Barbara Weber, Tango Therapeutics (synthetic lethal cancer drugs)

Garry Menzel, TCR2 Therapeutics (T cell therapies aimed at solid tumors)

Nancy Simonian, Syros Pharmaceuticals (targeted drugs for gene expression)

Hugh O’Dowd, Neon Therapeutics (neoantigen therapeutics)

David Meeker, KSQ Therapeutics (CRISPRomics cancer drug discovery)

Jason Gardner, Magenta Therapeutics (better bone marrow transplants)

2:40 pm Cancer Investment Overfloweth. Where do Forward-Looking VCs See Opportunity?

John Evans, venture partner, ARCH Venture Partners

Kush Parmar, managing partner, 5AM Ventures

Alexis Borisy, partner, Third Rock Ventures

Moderator: Michael Gilman, CEO, Obsidian Therapeutics

3:10 pm BREAK

3:30 pm Cancer diagnostics in the DNA information age. Getting validated and rewarded.

Melanie Nallicheri, chief business officer, Foundation Medicine

Kevin Conroy, CEO, Exact Sciences

Moderator: David Shaywitz, senior partner, Takeda Ventures

4 pm Designing clinical trials to give a clear, fast, and not crazy expensive answer

Jo Lager, VP, head of development, Sanofi Oncology

Beth Trehu, chief medical officer, Jounce Therapeutics

4:30 pm Closing Chat on New Emerging Modalities for Cancer Care

Jay Bradner, president, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

Robert Urban, global head, J&J Innovation

David Berman, SVP, I-O franchise head, AstraZeneca/MedImmune

Moderator: Bruce Booth, partner, Atlas Venture

5:15 pm A Word on the Everest Climb to Fight Cancer. Luke Timmerman

5:20 pm NETWORKING

6 pm END

REGISTER FOR THE BOSTON CANCER SUMMIT HERE

 

The Seattle Cancer Summit

Follow the news and you know: Scientists are more than just chipping away at cancer. They are kicking down the barricades. Cell therapies are, at long last, delivering lasting remissions in a few indications. Small molecules and antibodies with new mechanisms of action — sometimes in clever combination — are raising the bar, making cancer more of a chronic and tolerable disease. Underlying information on gene mutations, dysregulated protein networks and the tumor microenvironment provide a vivid glimpse of malignancy at the molecular level, and a wellspring for new therapeutic ideas. Much of this progress is occurring here on the West Coast. Hear from the leaders in Big Biotech, venture capital, and emerging startups at The Seattle Cancer Summit, Mar. 5. All proceeds go to the Mt. Everest Climb to Fight Cancer campaign at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

TIME: 1:00 pm-6 pm

DATE: Mar. 5

PLACE: Fred Hutch, Pelton Auditorium, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle

Confirmed speakers:

• James Sabry, senior vice president, Genentech Partnering
• Rob Hershberg, EVP, head of business development, Celgene
• Clay Siegall, co-founder and CEO, Seattle Genetics
• Sunil Agarwal, president of R&D, Juno Therapeutics
• Chad Robins, CEO, Adaptive Biotechnologies
• Peter Thompson, private equity partner, OrbiMed
• Andy Schwab, managing partner, 5AM Ventures
• Julie Sunderland, managing director, Biomatics Capital
• Thong Le, CEO, Accelerator Life Science Partners
• Andrew Allen, CEO, Gritstone Oncology
• Joe Victor, CEO, RareCyte
• Colleen Delaney, co-founder and CMO, Nohla Therapeutics
• Jay Shendure, professor of Genome Sciences, University of Washington; director of Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine
• Niki Robinson, VP of business development and strategy, Fred Hutch
• Mitch Gold, executive chairman and CEO, Alpine Immune Sciences
• Ali Tehrani, CEO, Zymeworks
• Sam Blackman, SVP, Silverback Therapeutics
• Monica Beam, SVP, Alexandria Venture Investments

TICKETS:

Advance Registration: $295

At the Door: $350

**First 50 to arrive will get free signed paperback copies of “Hood: Trailblazer of the Genomics Age.”**

PROGRAM

1:00 pm. Registration/networking

1:30 pm Welcome remarks. Niki Robinson, Fred Hutch

1:35 pm. Opening chat. Major trends in industrial cancer R&D:

James Sabry, SVP, Genentech Partnering

Rob Hershberg, EVP, head of business development, Celgene

Moderator: Andy Schwab, managing partner, 5AM Ventures

2:10 pm. Emerging company presentations (10 minutes each)

Andrew Allen, CEO, Gritstone Oncology (personalized neoantigen cancer vaccines)

Colleen Delaney, CMO, Nohla Therapeutics (off the shelf cell therapy for blood cancers)

Joe Victor, CEO, RareCyte (single cell analysis)

Ali Tehrani, CEO, Zymeworks (bispecific antibodies)

2:50 pm Cancer biology is moving fast. Where are the big opportunities for startups?

Thong Le, CEO, Accelerator Life Science Partners

Julie Sunderland, managing director, Biomatics Capital

Peter Thompson, private equity partner, OrbiMed Advisors

Mitch Gold, executive chairman and CEO, Alpine Immune Sciences

Moderator: Niki Robinson, VP, Fred Hutch

3:30 pm. BREAK

4 pm. What will scientists do with an AI-driven map of antigens and T-cell receptors?

Chad Robins, CEO, Adaptive Biotechnologies

Moderator: Sam Blackman, SVP, Silverback Therapeutics

4:30 pm. Where is science and industry going in the next five years?

Jay Shendure, professor of Genome Sciences, UW, director of Brotman Baty Institute

Clay Siegall, CEO, Seattle Genetics

Sunil Agarwal, president of R&D, Juno Therapeutics

Moderator: Monica Beam, SVP, Alexandria Venture Investments

5:10 pm A Word on the Everest Climb to Fight Cancer. Luke Timmerman

5:15 pm. NETWORKING

6 pm END

 

Sponsors:

Summit Sponsor:

• Sanofi

South Col Sponsor:

• 10X Genomics

Advanced Base Camp Sponsors:

• Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Base Camp Sponsors:

• 5AM Ventures
• Sofinnova Ventures
• Arch Venture Partners
• EBD Group
• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
• Loncar Investments

REGISTER FOR THE SEATTLE CANCER SUMMIT HERE