​​With ESMO just behind us, we are seeing new developments for Advanced Cutaneous and Uveal Melanoma that we can expect to see in the form of clinical trials, research proposals and access discussions soon.
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At MPNEhubs2024, we will look at these new developments in detail- so prepare for a technical meeting and some reading upfront. We will discuss developments in the context of the needs of our patient community, after a review and update of our patient pathways for Cutaneous and Uveal Melanoma. The aim is to formulate consensus statements on the issues that need addressing and to explore steps what to take forward as community, e.g. in the form of research projects or EU grant applications.
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So in addition, we will also review how to identify promising research consortia, understand what makes for a successful grant application, learn to avoid tasks that don't provide value for our community and rather, look into leveraging the expertise of our network to contribute to research.
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See you in Berlin!
Bettina
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program
version 1.0 preliminary- the frame is set but sessions are in planning and might shift; the final version will be annotated as final
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​Thursday, 5th December 2024
arrival
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Informal get-together and dinner - after 'a Pint of Large Language Models'', we are looking for the next topic(s)!
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Location to come
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Friday, 6th December 2024
9.00- 10.30 Welcome and review of areas of unmet need in advanced disease
Review of the patient pathways for Advanced Cutaneous and Uveal Melanoma: mapping unmet need and areas for potential interventions.
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10.30- 11.00 Coffee break
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11.00- 12.30 Finally, progress: Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Two therapies have now been approved for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma. While this is finally progress, efficacy and access remain an issue. This session will review recent findings and debate what's next.
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Overall survival benefit of immune therapies in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Sebastian Ochsenreither, Charité Berlin, invited
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Liver-directed therapies: results of the FOCUS study (NCT02678572) in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Christian Ottensmeier, Liverpool, UK invited
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Speaker 3
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Discussion Next developments
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Read
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​​12.30- 14.00 Lunch
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14.00- 15.45 The other 50%: improving survival in advanced cutaneous Melanoma
The latest 10 yr Checkmate 067 update showed sustained long-term OS in advanced Melanoma. However, we still lose half of our patients- this session will focus on strategies on how to further increase overall survival in this setting, a) looking at factors undermining treatment success with a specific focus on toxicity management and b) tailoring treatment strategies based on patient characteristics.
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James Larkin, Royal Marsden, UK confirmed
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Minke Lucas, NKI, NL tbc
Christian Thorball, Head of Translational Research, Precision Medicine Unit at CHUV | University Hospital of Lausanne, invited
Lars Engstrand, Karolinska Institut, Department for Translational Microbiome research and pandemic preparedness, Sweden, invited
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Discussion Next developments
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Read
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​​​15.45- 16.15 Coffee break
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16.15- 17.45 Diagnostics: genetics and beyond
Precision Medicine: Update on the DRUP-Like Clinical Trials
PCM4EU, PRIME-ROSE invited
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Pharmacoscopy
Berend Snijeder, Department for Molecular Systems Biology and Cell Biology, ETH Zürich invited
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Organoids
Christian Regenbrecht, ASC Oncology, invited
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Discussion What type of diagnostics do we need to increase therapeutic options for Melanoma patients?
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Read
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17.45- 18.30 NextGen ATMPs
ATMPs are promising new therapies but can cause severe and life-threatening side effects. Find how how control theory and molecular engineering can make the next generation of ATMPs smarter and safer.
Mustafa Khammash, Control Theory and Systems Biology in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich confirmed
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19.30 Dinner location tbc
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Saturday, 7th December 2024
9.00- 10.30 Immune therapies in development
From cold to hot- increasing response to IO.
Subcutaneous IO
Oncolytic viruses
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Discussion
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Read
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​10.30- 11.00 Coffee break
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11.00- 12.30 Targeted therapies in development
Overcoming resistance to targeted therapy
Targeting NRAS
Targeting PIK3delta
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Discussion
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Read
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12.30- 14.00 Lunch
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14.00- 15.30 Organ-specificity in cancer and addressing difficult metastatic sites
We know that early micrometastasis is common both in cutaneous and uveal Melanoma- but that many people never develop clinically manifest disease. What keeps micrometastases dormant? And what makes organ sites different from each other? And how could one exploit this for therapeutic purposes? Building on the ESMO2019 session on organ-specific immunity.
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Site-specific barriers to metastasis
Ana Correia, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal invited
Read Locally sourced: site-specific immune barriers to metastasis
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Brain mets
Liver mets ​​
Discussion: what needs to be done in order to deal with organ sites that we know are difficult to treat and that are drivers of mortality in Melanoma?
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Further reading
Innate Immune system and early liver inflammation
​​15.30- 16.00 Coffee break
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16.00- 18.30 Workshop participation in EU projects
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Understand how to find funding opportunities, what makes successful consortia, what a good grant application looks like and what to expect in terms of administration. What is an impact section, how does one incorporate Social Sciences and make sure that our participation results in differences for our patient communities and is not just yet another toothless tickbox exercise.
What does an effective patient engagement plan look like, how do you negotiate effective participation in a research project and how do you then assess the impact of your work?
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Material
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Horizon Europe Program Guide - section on citizen engagement p54
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​​​​19.30 Dinner location tbc
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Sunday, 8th December 2024
Bringing it all together- after having started with areas of unmet need, reviewing potentially promising avenues, time to tie it back! Where do we see research need and what type of opportunities would be needed to address them? Which type of issues do we anticipate, in particular with regards to access?
9.00- 10.30 Consensus Advanced Cutaneous Melanoma ​
10.30- 11.00 Coffee break​
11.00- 12.30 Consensus Advanced Uveal Melanoma ​
12.30- 13.00 Conclusions and next steps​​
Light lunch and departure ​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin!
​​Bettina, Gilly, Fredrik and Violeta
MPNE core
Event made possible through the support of
Participation
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
This meeting is for European Melanoma patient advocates with a particular interest in Advanced Melanoma.
The level of the meeting will be high and a sufficient level of English is required to follow.
HOW DO WE SELECT?
As always, participation is upon application only. First and foremost, we select based on motivation and the potential impact for Melanoma patients.
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WHAT DOES IT COST?
Accepted participants will receive free registration and full-board accommodation for the 3 nights (Thurs, Fri, Sat) of the meeting. Extra nights are at participants' own expenses and need to be arranged by the participants themselves.
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COVID PROVISIONS
Venues are expected to comply with local COVID measures and so will the event. Please be aware that these differ from country to country. We expect participants to comply by local rules and ensure they are sufficiently vaccinated. In line with general rules, there will be no mask mandate anymore. Participation in the event is at the participant's own risk.
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​Travel needs to be arranged for by participants themselves but will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount of 400€ for economy/ 2nd class travel after full attendance of the conference. Please look for the best deals and keep the original receipts of your bookings. Berlin airport is very well-connected by train, we will therefore no longer reimburse taxi receipts unless required for specific reasons.
Cannot afford to pay ticket upfront? Please contact us.
No attendance, no receipt = no reimbursement.
Logistics
Coming shortly