Immunomodulation of ADCs Virtual Summit

SITC's Summit on Immunomodulation of Antibody-drug Conjugates is supported, in part, by grants from AstraZeneca, and Mersana Therapeutics Inc. (Supporters as of June 24, 2024).

Contact Development@sitcancer.org for more information on how your organization's support can help advance cancer immunotherapy and make "cure" a reality.

Summit Overview

Program Summary

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) hosted the Summit on Immunomodulation of Antibody-drug Conjugates on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 from 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. EDT. The virtual summit was a free, public event that featured invited speakers, expert panel discussions, and attendee question and answer periods. The multi-stakeholder virtual summit featured over 25 panelists representing academic research and industry around the world. 

The SITC Summit on Immunomodulation of Antibody-drug Conjugates highlighted the latest translational and clinical research on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and their impacts on the immune system, anti-tumor immunity, and the tumor microenvironment. Topics addressed at the summit included impact of ADCs on the immune system, clinical considerations surrounding ADCs, ADC combination therapies, and next-generation immunoconjugates.

Open access to the past summit recording can be found here.

Problem Statement

The research and use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat certain cancers have expanded dramatically in the last two years. 2023 brought the first FDA approval of an ADC combined with immune checkpoint blockade, and recent studies suggest that ADCs may modulate the immune system and enhance the anti-cancer immune response. The immuno-oncology field must explore the clinical and translational research surrounding ADCs and their role in immunomodulation, in order to effectively use and design ADCs and ADC-based therapies to improve patient outcomes.

Summit Goals and Objectives

The primary objective of the SITC Summit on Immunomodulation of ADCs is to elucidate the mechanistic aspects of ADC monotherapies and combination therapies. Secondary goals include exploring the effects of ADCs on the immune system, tumor microenvironment and anti-tumor immunity, reviewing clinical considerations for ADC-based therapies, discussing the rationale of using immunoconjugates for targeted cancer therapy.

 Program Organizers

Timothy B. Lowinger, PhD

Timothy B. Lowinger, PhD
Mersana Therapeutics

Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH

Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Alfred Zippelius, MD

Alfred Zippelius, MD
University Hospital Basel

Summit Agenda

Immunomodulation of ADCs Virtual Summit: Wednesday, June 26, 2024  - 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. EDT
11–11:05 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

Alfred Zippelius, MD – University Hospital Basel
11:05–11:20 a.m.

Background of ADCs, Mode of Action, Bystander Death and Immunogenic Cell Death

Greg Thurber, PhD – University of Michigan
11:20–11:35 a.m.

Emerging ADC Clinical Data

Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
11:35–11:50 a.m.

Effects of RT and Chemotherapy on the Tumor Microenvironment

Lorenzo Galluzzi, PhD – Weill Cornell Medical College
11:50 a.m.–12:05 p.m.

ADC and IO Combinations

Michiel van der Heijden, MD, PhD – Netherlands Cancer Institute
12:05–12:20 p.m.

Other Immune-Stimulating Agents and Combinations with ADCs

Sofia Genta, MD – Kingston Health Sciences Center
12:20–12:35 p.m.

Speaker Panel Discussion and Q&A

Moderator: Alfred Zippelius, MD – University Hospital Basel

Sofia Genta, MD – Kingston Health Sciences Center

Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Greg Thurber, PhD – University of Michigan

Michiel van der Heijden, MD, PhD – Netherlands Cancer Institute
12:35–12:45 p.m.
 Break
12:45–1:20 p.m.

Panel 1: Clinical Experiences, Limitations, Toxicity Profiles, and Potential Combinations

Moderator: Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH – Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Heather McArthur, MD, MPH – Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Thomas Powles, MD, MBBS, MRCP – Barts Cancer Institute

Peter Schmid, MD, PhD – Barts Cancer Institute

Michiel van der Heijden – Netherlands Cancer Institute
1:20–1:55 p.m.

Panel 2: Preclinical Rationale for Combination Therapies

Moderator: Tim Lowinger, PhD – Mersana Therapeutics

Leif Ellisen, MD, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital

Daniel Peeper, PhD – Netherlands Cancer Institute

Puja Sapra, PhD - AstraZeneca
1:55–2:10 p.m. Break
2:10–2:45 p.m.

Panel 3: Beyond Cytotoxic ADCs: Approaches to Stimulate the Immune System

Moderator: James Mulé, IPhD – H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Naniye Malli, PhD, MS – Mersana Therapeutics

Michael Alonso, PhD – Bolt Biotherapeutics

Neil Lineberry, PhD – Takeda

Christian Klein, PhD – Roche Innovation Center Zurich
2:45–3:25 p.m.

Panel 4: Patient Selection, Predictive Biomarkers, Signs of Early Benefit, and Future Areas of Research

Moderator: Barbara Pistilli, MD – Gustave Roussy

Laurence Buisseret, MD, PhD – Université libre de Bruxelles

Aurelien Marabelle, MD, PhD – University of Paris Saclay

Roberto Ferrara, MD, PhD – University Vita Salute San Raffaele

Fabrice Andre, MD, PhD – Gustave Roussy

Maurizio Scaltriti, PhD – AstraZeneca
3:20–3:30 p.m. Conclusion, Next Steps and Potential Outcomes