The search for a cancer vaccine has been ongoing for decades, going back to the days when Immuno-Oncology was known as Tumor Immunology. And progress has been made on several fronts, from identifying target/antigens like neoantigens, adjuvants, Oncolytic Viruses, and immunization platforms like peptides, to lab development of genetic vaccine tools, like messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). In the past decade, researchers have identified checkpoint inhibitors, those points in the immune system that discriminate between healthy and foreign cells, and from that knowledge scientists have unlocked secrets of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) to discover how immune cells see and react to antigens.
However, progress in the lab and development of vaccine experimental models have generated only modest progress in clinical trials, where proof of concept is translated into real-life patient benefit. To date, there is only one approved cancer vaccine, Provenge, which was approved more than a decade ago.
The question remains: Why has the field not progressed as fast and as far as many insiders might have hoped? Why have the positive responses in animal models not been able to be replicated in human trials?.
For an inside look at the promise and challenges of a cancer vaccine, join us for, “The Travails and Promise of Cancer Vaccines,” with two of the leading experts in the field. This webinar provides an overview of the field, including the strategic, financing, and partnering components of vaccine development, and an in-depth look at how researchers, oncologists, and Life Science companies can overcome stumbling blocks and see cancer vaccines realize their true potential.
WEBINAR SPEAKER:
Dr. Lisa Butterfield
Adjunct Professor, UCSF
Lisa is the Vice President, PICI Research and Development at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and an Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, University California San Francisco. At the Parker Institute, Lisa supports collaborative initiatives, cell therapy development, biomarker analysis and the PICI Scholars and Fellows Program. At UCSF, she is focused on cancer vaccines and cellular metabolism in solid tumors. Dr. Butterfield was most recently Professor of Medicine, Surgery, Immunology and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh (2003-2018) and Director of the Hillman Cancer Center Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory. She has a PhD in Biology from UCLA, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in Cellular Immunology and Cancer Gene Therapy also at UCLA.
WEBINAR MODERATOR
Jeff Bockman, PhD
EVP, BioConsulting and Head of Oncology Practice, Lumanity
Jeff leads the Oncology and Virology Practices at Lumanity. Jeff has extensive commercial and strategic perspective on the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He has directed hundreds of in-depth licensing opportunity and valuation assessments during his tenure at Cello Health BioConsulting, now Lumanity. He often speaks at conferences on scientific and commercial issues in cancer, especially immuno-oncology.
He received a BA from University of California at San Diego, a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MA in English/Creative Writing from New York University