Events

Location: Lobby
Time: 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM

When Roche AG acquired Santaris and their locked nucleic acid (LNA) technology in 2014, they gained access to a unique RNA targeting platform to target disease causing genes that are challenging to modulate with conventional drug discovery approaches. Today the Roche portfolio boasts more than a dozen R&D programs that have emerged from this investment and additional strategic collaborations.

The intrinsic properties of these molecules enable them to preferentially target the liver; an observation that has facilitated the development of new therapeutics in the treatment of HBV, for instance. However, Roche are keen to identify and invest in ways of targeting LNAs to cells and tissues that reside beyond the liver. With this aim in mind Roche are sponsoring this mini symposium focused on the emerging approaches and technologies that could be brought to bear in extra-hepatic RNA delivery, for instance to immune cell lineages and the CNS.

This event will provide the opportunity for researchers and biotech to present the state-of-the-art alongside Roche Leaders from the RNA Therapeutics Research Division and we welcome your participation.

Agenda:

• Registration
• Presentations
• Roche facilitated Speed Networking over drinks and hor d'oueve
• Feedback from tables

Speakers:

• Bo Rode Hansen (Roche RNA Therapeutics Head): Introduction to the Event. 10 mins
• Anastasia Khvorova (U Mass); ​Conjugate mediated extrahepatic delivery of therapeutic RNAs.​ 30 mins
• Judy Lieberman (BCH); The Silent Treatment: Aptamer-targeted RNAs for Cell-specific Gene Knockdown. 30 mins
• Qiaobing Xu (Hopewell Therapeutics): Novel combinatorial lipid libraries to screen for specific tissue targeting, 20 mins

Networking Tables:

• Table 1: Chemical and biophysical approaches extra-hepatic delivery pre-populated with Qiaobing Xu, Dan Anderson, Carl Schoelhammer, David Tabatadze].
• Table 2: Affinity targeted approaches to extra-hepatic delivery [pre-populated with Art Levin, Judy Lieberman]