5 biologics conferences you won’t want to miss in 2024

When you’re part of an industry that moves as quickly as the field of protein therapeutics, it’s important to keep up with the latest news. You get updates from colleagues, news sites, and online communities. But nothing matches the experience of going to a conference.

Use this list of crowd-sourced favorites to kick-start your 2024 biologics conference plans. Find out when and where each conference takes place, who will be there, which topics are covered, and what else to expect.

1. Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics

Europe: June 4-6, London
USA: December 15-19, San Diego

Join the global antibody community to hear the latest on the design, engineering, and selection of antibody-based therapeutics at this annual event that has been running for more than 30 years. On top of attracting industry experts, this event is a favorite for early career professionals.

The agenda covers the entire spectrum of antibody discovery and development.

Topics include:

• • Multispecific Antibodies, Fc Engineering, Novel Approaches to Antibody Discovery, and Antibody Theranostics
  • Agonist Antibodies, Conditionally Active Biotherapeutics, Co-Stimulatory Antibodies and Combination Approaches in Oncology
  • Emerging Modalities: ADCs, Degraders and Beyond
  • Computational Approaches to Antibody Discovery and Optimization

Pro-tip: Join the Antibody Society to get a discount on conference passes and get the latest antibody news!

2. Festival of Biologics

USA: April 15-17, San Diego
Europe: October 15-17, Basel

Join biologics professionals from all stages of development. You will meet R&D scientists, CEOs, professors, and investors. Whether you’re from big pharma, a start-up, academia, or a CDMO, you’ll be in good company!

While some conferences have a very specific focus, this event goes broad and covers topics across the entire value chain of biologics, from discovery to market.

Topics include:

• • AI and Machine Learning in Oncology and Biomarkers
  • Antibodies in Immunotherapy, Armed Antibodies and Checkpoint Inhibitors
  • Biosimilar Development, Manufacturing and Analysis
  • CMC, Developability and Manufacturability, as well as new technologies in screening and analytics for antibody proteins

At the Festival of Biologics, you’ll have the opportunity to learn something different, connect with people across different functions, discover new start-ups, or exhibit and pitch your own at the Start-up Zone.

Pro-tip: Download the conference app ahead of time to schedule meetings with speakers, investors, and fellow scientists!

3. PEGS

USA: May 13-17, Boston
Europe: November 5-7, Barcelona

Join protein engineering and biotherapeutics experts from pharma, academia, and government at the Protein Engineering Summit. Catch up on recent advances and learn what’s in store for the future of biotherapeutic drug development.

With a focus on biologic drug development, the conference is split between the following programs, that each offer a dedicated agenda:

• • Engineering
  • Oncology
  • Multispecifics
  • Immunotherapy
  • Expression
  • Analytical
  • Immunogenicity
  • Therapeutics

Pro-tip: If you’re early in your career or relatively new to biologics, have a look at the list of short courses and full-day training seminars.

4. World ADC Series

Europe: March 12-15, London
US: November 4-7, San Diego

Back for its 14th edition, the World ADC Series are the perfect events to stay up to date with the latest discoveries and forward your ADC pipeline.

The program covers all stages of development with dedicated sessions focusing on next-gen payloads, exploring preclinical biology, tackling translational studies, and unraveling the complexities of ADC manufacturing processes. You’ll have access to a wide breadth of ADC-related topics, covering everything from overcoming off-target toxicities to understanding the nitty-gritty of complex manufacturing.

No matter where you are in your development journey, consider these events your global hotspots for all things antibody-drug conjugates.

Pro-tip: For more in-depth focus on specific topics related to antibody drug conjugates, the World ADC Series also offers further events dedicated to conjugation, payloads, analytical development or target selection, among others.

5. Biologics UK

UK: March 13-15, London
USA: October (dates TBD), San Diego

Join fellow biologics R&D professionals – from early career scientists through professors, program directors and C-level industry leaders – for high-level discussions on the latest innovations in biologics discovery & development.

In addition to being known for its engaging and interactive discussion-based sessions, post-conference reviews celebrate the productive conversations, and ease of networking throughout the event.

The conference is split between 4 main congresses:

• • Proteins & Antibodies
  • Peptides
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Sustainability in Biologics

Pro-tip: New in 2024 – ADC Discovery & Development US Congress
Due to recent advances in conjugation strategies and with more than 550 ADCs in clinical trials in the US, an ADC-dedicated congress will also be held in October in San Diego.