Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 9th Annual

Degraders & Molecular Glues – Part 2

Pursuing Challenging Drug Targets, Exploring New Ligases and Degradation Pathways

April 15 - 16, 2026 ALL TIMES PDT

Bi-functional degraders like Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), monovalent degraders like molecular glues and other emerging degrader modalities are being used to hijack the ubiquitin-proteasome, lysosome, and autophagy systems for targeted protein degradation. They are seeking out previously “undruggable” targets for therapeutic intervention by exploring novel chemistries and chemical spaces and using innovative assays and screening tools to better understand and predict complex cellular interactions. This two-part conference on Degraders & Molecular Glues brings together experts in the field to discuss opportunities and challenges involved in pursuing targeted degradation and induced proximity as viable therapeutic strategies.
6:15 pm WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15: Recommended Dinner Short Course*
SC5: Protein Degraders: An in vivo ADME and Safety Perspective

*Premium Pricing or separate registration required. See Short Courses page for details.

Wednesday, April 15

12:00 pmRegistration Open

1:00 pmDessert Break in the Exhibit Hall

Enjoy a dessert break in the Exhibit Hall! Network with our sponsors and exhibitors.

EMERGING MODALITIES FOR DEGRADATION

1:30 pmWelcome Remarks
1:35 pm

Chairperson's Remarks

Dominic J. Reynolds, PhD, CSO, R&D, Remix Therapeutics

1:40 pm

FEATURED PRESENTATION: Development of Degrader-Antibody Conjugates (DACs)

Shaomeng Wang, PhD, Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology & Medicinal Chemistry; Co-Director, Molecular Therapeutics Program, University of Michigan

While protein degraders are typically more potent and efficacious than traditional small-molecule inhibitors, there are significant barriers for their successful development as new therapies for human diseases, including more pronounced toxicities against normal tissues for many protein targets and sub-optimal pharmacokinetics. Degrader-antibody conjugates (DACs) have emerged as a new therapeutic modality by taking advantage of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and protein degraders. In this talk, I will present our development of degrader-antibody conjugates (DACs) targeting transcriptional factors for the treatment of human cancers.

2:10 pm

Next-Generation Antibody Degraders: Design Principles for Tissue-Specific Receptor Degradation and ADC Payload Delivery

Felipe de Sousa e Melo, PhD, Director, Large Molecule Modality, Induced Proximity Platform, Amgen

We engineered bispecific antibody degraders to achieve tissue-restricted degradation of cell-surface receptor targets. These molecules drive receptor internalization and lysosomal clearance while minimizing toxicity and enhancing specificity. They can also be adapted into next-generation ADCs to deliver potent, selective efficacy. This versatile platform integrates cell surface receptor degradation with payload delivery, advancing safer and more effective antibody-based degraders.

2:40 pm Beyond Serendipity: Unlocking Molecular Glue Discovery via AI and Automation

Yang Xie, VP of XtalPi, XtalPi Inc

Molecular glue degraders have traditionally been identified retrospectively through serendipity, restricting both accessible target space and the diversity of actionable chemotypes. To overcome these limitations, we developed a prospective discovery framework that does not rely on known or predicted degron motifs for the target protein or precedent as an E3 substrate. Instead, this approach integrates AI-guided chemical space construction with robotics-controlled automated synthesis to systematically interrogate ligase-compatible chemical space in an iterative manner, enabling rapid hit identification and optimization. By shifting toward target-oriented discovery, this platform expands the degradable proteome and provides a scalable path to unlock effective molecular glue discovery.

3:10 pmRefreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

4:00 pm

Strategies to Drug RNA-Protein Complexes with Small Molecules

Dominic J. Reynolds, PhD, CSO, R&D, Remix Therapeutics

REM-422, a first-in-class mRNA Degrader of the MYB Oncogene, is being developed by Remix Therapeutics for the treatment of ACC and AML/HR-MDS. The REMaster platform identifies compounds that address undruggable, high unmet medical-need targets. These next-generation drug discovery programs are enabled by a suite of biophysical assays and expand the scope of pharmacologically tractable splice modulator modalities.

4:30 pm

From Membranes to Lysosomes: Rewriting Protein Fate with Small-Molecule LYMTACs

Dhanusha Nalawansha, PhD, Senior Scientist, Induced Proximity Platform, Amgen Inc.

LYMTACs are heterobifunctional small molecules that harness lysosomal membrane proteins (LMPs) to relocalize and degrade otherwise undruggable membrane proteins. We demonstrate that oncogenic KRASG12D signaling can be effectively inhibited by LYMTACs, which act through both target relocalization and degradation. Extending this approach across diverse targets and LMPs, we establish LYMTACs as a versatile small molecule-based platform for targeted lysosomal degradation of challenging membrane proteins, expanding therapeutic possibilities.

5:00 pmBreakout Discussions (In-Person Only)

Breakout Discussions are informal, moderated discussions, allowing participants to exchange ideas and experiences and develop future collaborations around a focused topic. Each breakout will be led by a facilitator who keeps the discussion on track and the group engaged. Please visit the Breakout Discussions page on the conference website for a complete listing of topics and descriptions. Breakout Discussions are offered in-person only.

IN-PERSON ONLY BREAKOUT:

Assays and Strategies For Developing Next-generation Degraders and Glues

Fleur Ferguson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Assistant Professor, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego

Ken Hsu, PhD, Stephen F. and Fay Evans Martin Endowed Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin

Dominic J. Reynolds, PhD, CSO, R&D, Remix Therapeutics

IN-PERSON ONLY BREAKOUT:

Developing Tissue-Specific Degraders and Degrader Conjugates

Felipe de Sousa e Melo, PhD, Director, Large Molecule Modality, Induced Proximity Platform, Amgen

Shaomeng Wang, PhD, Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology & Medicinal Chemistry; Co-Director, Molecular Therapeutics Program, University of Michigan

5:45 pmClose of Day

6:15 pmRecommended Dinner Short Course*

SC5: Protein Degraders: An in vivo ADME and Safety Perspective

*Premium Pricing or separate registration required. See Short Courses page for details.

Thursday, April 16

7:45 amRegistration and Morning Coffee

PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSION

8:15 am

Plenary Welcome Remarks from Lead Content Director

Anjani Shah, PhD, Senior Conference Director, Cambridge Healthtech Institute

8:25 am

Directed and Random Walks in Chemical Space

Brian K. Shoichet, PhD, Professor & Chair, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

In the last six years, docking libraries have expanded from three million to over a trillion molecules.  In controlled experiments, we compare billion vs. million molecule library docking on the same targets, demonstrating that as the libraries grow so too do hit-rates and affinities.  I consider how and if new ML methods separate true from false positives in these campaigns, and how good our subsequent ligand optimization strategies are versus what we might expect against a random background (surprisingly unimpressive).

9:10 amCoffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing and Best of Show Awards Announced

MOLECULAR GLUES FOR NOVEL TARGETS

10:00 am

Chairperson's Remarks

Jin Wang, PhD, Director, Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine

10:05 am

Molecular Glue Degraders Overcome Target-Engaging Limits of Traditional Inhibitors

Yong Cang, PhD, Professor, ShanghaiTech University; Co-Founder & CSO, Degron Therapeutics

Roughly 75% of disease targets are considered difficult-to-drug or insufficiently drugged. Molecular glue degraders provide an unique approach to engage these targets. I will use case studies from Degron’s internal pipeline programs to illustrate the power of molecular glue degraders to overcome such challenges and even illuminate novel target biology in disease treatment.

10:35 am

FEATURED PRESENTATION: Modulation of Cancer-Specific Interactomes via Chemical Switches and Molecular Glues

Arvin Dar, PhD, Professor, Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Chemically-induced proximity of bimolecular complexes is a powerful modality to rewire signal transduction networks. Most extensively studied in the context of protein degradation, the full scope and potential of chemically induced proximity for novel targets and pharmacological mechanisms has yet to be realized. I will discuss structure-based strategies to advance chemically induced proximity in several complementary areas, including as an approach to overcome drug resistance and as a mechanism to achieve ultra-selective modulators of kinase targets.

11:05 am From Disappearance to Mechanism: CETSA® Reveals Binding, Degradation and Pathway Effects of Degraders

Michael Dabrowski, CEO, Management, Pelago Bioscience AB

Targeted protein degradation exploits cellular proteostasis and should be evaluated in native, label- and tag-free systems to accurately define mechanism of action. Not all degrader-bound proteins are degraded, and functional effects may arise from classical ligand interactions. Here we demonstrate how CETSA validates function by assessing Target Engagement and degradation of intended and liability neo-substrates of PROTACs and molecular glues. Targeted and proteome-wide CETSA combined with quantitative proteomics confirms binding, degradation, and pathway responses.

11:20 am

Discovery of Molecular Glues and Novel E3 Ligase Ligands through Function-Based DEL Screening

Thomas Kodadek, PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Scripps Biomedical Research

Monovalent, Lipinski-compliant molecular glue-class protein degraders are highly prized but there are few reliable methods for their discovery. In this talk, we describe the establishment of an in vitro assay that allows DNA-encoded libraries of bead-displayed small molecules to be screened for the ability to trigger the poly-Ubiquitylation of a co-immobilized target protein by Ubiquitin (Ub) ligases. We describe a first-generation system that employs a user-chosen, purified E3 Ub ligase as well as a second-generation assay that employs a cell extract as the source of enzymes.

11:50 amTransition to Lunch

12:00 pm LUNCHEON PRESENTATION: Enabling and Accelerating Targeted Protein Degraders and Molecular Glues Drug Discovery through a Global Open Access Platform

Tao Guo, PhD, SVP & Head of RCS IPM, WuXi AppTec

WuXi AppTec is a trusted partner and contributor to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, providing R&D and manufacturing services that help advance healthcare innovation. in this presentation, we will discuss how to enable and accelerate targeted protein degraders and molecular glues drug discovery through our unique CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) platform.

12:30 pmTransition to VC Panel

INSIGHTS FROM VENTURE CAPITALISTS

12:40 pm

PANEL DISCUSSION: Venture Capitalist Insights into Drug Discovery Trends 

PANEL MODERATOR:

Daniel A. Erlanson, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, Frontier Medicines Corporation

PANELISTS:

Chris De Savi, PhD, CSO Partner, Curie Bio

James Edwards, PhD, Venture Partner, Samsara BioCapital

Sarah Hymowitz, PhD, Partner, The Column Group

Jamie Kasuboski, PhD, Partner, Luma Group

Ken Lin, CEO & Founder, ABIES Capital

1:30 pmDessert Break with Meet the VC Panelists and Poster Awards

GLUE DISCOVERY & OPTIMIZATION

2:10 pm

Chairperson's Remarks

Maria Soloveychik, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO, SyntheX

2:15 pm

Transforming Molecular Glue Discovery with an Empirical, Cell-Based, Discovery Platform

Maria Soloveychik, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO, SyntheX

We present ToRNeDO, SyntheX's empirical, cell-based platform that revolutionizes molecular glue discovery by eliminating reliance on serendipitous discoveries. ToRNeDO enables functional selection of molecular glues that use specific target/ligase pairs. The system is also used to map novel degrons for rational glue design. Using this platform, we discovered highly selective molecular glues against previously untargeted effectors and E3s, demonstrating ToRNeDO's potential to unlock new therapeutic strategies through systematic, directed molecular glue development.

2:45 pm

Leveraging High-Throughput Proteomics and AI to Accelerate Molecular-Glue Discovery

Jin Wang, PhD, Director, Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine

Key topics of discussion include the power of high-throughput proteomics for unbiased discovery of novel neosubstrates, the application of AlphaFold-like algorithms to predict ternary complex structures, and the use of direct-to-biology strategies to expand the chemical space. These integrated approaches are paving the way for the next generation of molecular glue therapeutics.

3:15 pm

A Molecular Clamp Targeting the TOE1:Sm Complex Imparts Tunable Regulation of Splicing

Haoxin Li, PhD, Damon Runyon Post-Doctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Dr. Benjamin Cravatt, Scripps Research Institute

snRNAs are required for the structure and function of the spliceosome. Here we report a potent and selective covalent ligand that targets TOE1, a 3’ RNA exonuclease, only when bound to the Sm complex. We find that this compound acts as a “molecular clamp”, dramatically stabilizing TOE1-Sm complex interactions and triggering the excessive trimming of snRNA 3’ termini in cells. Our findings may have therapeutic implications for splicing-related diseases.

3:45 pmNetworking Refreshment Break

DEL FOR TARGETED PROTEIN DEGRADATION

4:00 pm

Phenotypic DEL in Droplets for TPD and Beyond

Mihaljo Todorovic, PhD, Principal Scientist II, Medicinal Chemistry, Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research

This talk will describe microfluidics-enabled cellular phenotypic DEL workflow—MicDrop. We will introduce cellular DEL screen in droplets, followed by results from a cellular protein degradation screen with a validation library, as well as another set of screens with a prospective library. Our results show the benefits of bead replicates and how this new paradigm of DEL screen can accelerate the field of molecular glue discovery for TPD and beyond.

4:30 pm

Picowell DEL Screening Enables the Discovery of Cereblon Modulator PLX-66140, a Potent and Selective CDK2 Degrader for CCNE1-Amplified Cancers

Jean-Francois Brazeau, PhD, Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Plexium Inc.

Herein, we report the discovery of PLX-66140, a potent CDK2 cereblon-based degrader. Using Plexium’s picowell DEL screening platform, we identified multiple CDK2 degrader hits. Medicinal chemistry optimization resulted in the identification of a selective and orally bioavailable drug development candidate. Oral administration of PLX-66140 in tumor-bearing mice demonstrated robust target degradation and enhanced anti-tumor activity over ATP-competitive inhibitors in multiple CCNE1-amplified mouse xenograft models at well tolerated doses.

5:00 pm PANEL DISCUSSION:

High-Throughput Chemistry Platforms for Molecular Glue Discovery

PANEL MODERATOR:

Ken Yamada, PhD, Associate Director, Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis BioMedical Research

PANELISTS:

Daniel Blair, PhD, Assistant Member, St. Jude's Children Research Hospital

Jean-Francois Brazeau, PhD, Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Plexium Inc.

Michael Erb, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute

Thomas Kodadek, PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Scripps Biomedical Research

Mihaljo Todorovic, PhD, Principal Scientist II, Medicinal Chemistry, Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research

5:30 pmClose of Conference





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