C&EN Webinars
Produced by C&EN Webinars

Bridging the Translational Gap in Autoimmune Drug Discovery

DATE
October 28, 2026
TIME
8:00 a.m. PT | 11:00 a.m. ET | 3:00 p.m. UK

Overview

Developing effective therapies for immune-mediated diseases requires more than identifying promising therapeutic targets. Complex disease mechanisms and differences across indications make selecting appropriate research models critical for understanding disease biology, evaluating emerging therapeutic approaches, and informing early discovery decisions.

Join WuXi AppTec to explore how disease-relevant research models can provide valuable insights into drug discovery through two case studies:

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Explore how research models can be used to evaluate TL1A-targeted therapeutic approaches, with a focus on capturing key inflammatory and fibrotic features of the disease.
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Examine B-cell depletion strategies and compare different therapeutic approaches using relevant disease models.

Learn how thoughtful model selection helps researchers investigate therapeutic mechanisms, assess emerging treatment strategies, and make more informed decisions in early-stage drug discovery.

Key Learning Objectives:
  • Assess the translational utility of advanced in vitro and in vivo disease models to effectively de-risk candidate selection
  • Understand strategies for benchmarking and validating emerging modalities, such as TL1A therapeutics and B cell depleting agents, using robust immunology platforms
  • Discover how leveraging integrated, end-to-end CRDMO capabilities can streamline translational research and accelerate timelines from early target identification to IND submission
Who Should Attend:
  • R&D and Scientific Leaders: CSOs, Heads of R&D, and VPs/Directors of Immunology seeking to optimize preclinical testing strategies and accelerate autoimmune programs toward IND filing.
  • Drug Discovery Scientists: Lead Biologists, Pharmacologists, and Project Investigators looking to leverage reliable in vitro and in vivo disease models for evaluating novel modalities in IBD and SLE.

Sponsored by:
WuXi AppTec logo

Speakers

Ronghua Zhang, PhD
Director, WuXi Biology,
WuXi AppTec
Sheng Xiao, PhD
Fellow, WuXi Biology,
WuXi AppTec
Sara Kobilka
Contributing Editor,
ACS Media Group

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