Pre-Event
Monday, June 29th 2026
From Antibody Discovery to IND: Advancing Biologics in Oncology
An Evotec science event held in conjunction with AIS 2026
Date: 29th June 2026 |Time: 13h30 until 19h00 CET
Antibodies and related modalities have reshaped oncology treatment over the past three decades. Advances in antibody engineering, together with deeper insights into cancer biology and immune surveillance, have enabled increasingly precise and effective biologic therapies.
At Evotec, these advances are translated into an integrated biologics discovery and development continuum, combining antibody discovery platforms with disease biology, mode-of-action understanding, and early de-risking strategies such as developability assessment to support informed progression toward IND.
The event will feature two invited scientific lectures delivered by internationally recognized leaders in the antibody and oncology fields, offering independent perspectives on current challenges and emerging directions in antibody-based cancer therapies.
Evotec scientists will present selected case studies illustrating integrated discovery and profiling approaches, including high-throughput surface plasmon resonance analysis, functional characterization of bispecific antibodies at the immune synapse, and in-depth pharmacokinetic assessment.
The program will also examine how biologics and small-molecule expertise can be integrated to address the complexity of Antibody-Drug Conjugates and support challenging ADC programs.
This half-day, science-focused event will take place ahead of the Antibody Industrial Symposium and provides an opportunity for in-depth scientific exchange and discussion.
Premilinary Agenda
13h30
Registration and welcome coffee
14h00
OPENING KEYNOTE LECTURE
- Barthez Auditorium
Mining Antibody Biology for Novel Functionalities and Therapeutic Antibody Development
Janine Schuurman
Independent biotech Consultant
Lust for Life Science, Netherlands
14h30
Integrated Drug Discovery and Center of Excellence
- Evotec’s integrated drug discovery continuum and oncology centers of excellence
Elsa Kress
Head of Business Development
EVOTEC
14h45
Early Antibody Discovery
- Evotec’s phage display platform: 30 years of innovation supporting antibody discovery and multiple clinical successes
- Biophysical interaction mapping and poly-reactivity profiling for early antibody developability and de-risking
Elsa Kress
Head of Business Development
EVOTEC
15h45
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)
- End-to-end antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) discovery at Evotec
- Linker design and bioconjugation strategies for optimized ADC development
Elsa Kress
Head of Business Development
EVOTEC
16h00
Coffee break with pastries
16h30
Advanced Antibody Profiling and Translational Pharmacology
- In vivo pharmacokinetic assessment and improved clinical translatability using transgenic huFcRn mouse models
- Advanced pharmacological models to identify best-in-class antibody candidates, including immune synapse–based functional assays
- Humanized mouse models, epitope mapping, and structural biology approaches to support antibody characterization in immuno-oncology
Elsa Kress
Head of Business Development
EVOTEC
17h15
Biologics Manufacturing
- Automated and intensified continuous manufacturing technologies for biologics production
- AI/ML-driven developability assessment and optimization for antibody candidates
Elsa Kress
Head of Business Development
EVOTEC
17h30
CLOSING LECTURE
To Be Announced Soon
- Invited lecture by a clinical oncologist on the clinical impact of antibody-based therapies in cancer treatment
Janine Schuurman
Independent biotech Consultant
Lust for Life Science, Netherlands
18h00