WIB-San Francisco Bay Area: Designing and Delivering the Next Generation of Bispecifics

Our May 19 panel discussion brought together a packed room of 70 attendees at MBC BioLabs in San Carlos for an engaging conversation on the future of antibody development and the growing role of AI in biotech. Moderated by Seema Kantak of Exelixis, the panel featured an impressive lineup of industry leaders, including Peyton Greenside of BigHat Biosciences, Bonnie Hammer of Invenra, Katherine Harris of Rondo Therapeutics, Ulrike Konrad of Leukocare, and Katie Pfeiffer of Infinimmune. Together, they explored how engineering, machine learning, and computational foresight are transforming the way bispecific antibodies are designed and developed.

The discussion highlighted how AI is helping to accelerate discovery timelines while also opening the door to more creative and precise antibody-targeting strategies. Panelists emphasized the importance of taking smart, calculated risks early in development to help avoid bigger challenges later on. Attendees were especially excited by the conversation around sequence diversity, antibody affinities, and the endless opportunities that emerging technologies are creating within the field.

What seemed to resonate most with the audience was seeing such a dynamic group of women founders and executives leading innovation in healthcare. Their passion, creativity, and willingness to challenge conventional thinking made for an inspiring evening that continued well beyond the panel during lively networking conversations afterward.

Submitted by Gabriella Gaje