Understanding GLP-1s: Progress, Potential, and What’s Next

 

Kicking off Monday’s sessions, Dan Brennan, Managing Director at TD Cowen, will deliver an insightful session on GLP-1 receptor agonists and their transformative impact on healthcare. This session will provide vital context on the rapidly evolving GLP-1 landscape, exploring its implications for life science tools and diagnostics companies. From market trends to R&D advancements, Brennan will highlight how these groundbreaking therapies are shaping opportunities and challenges for ALDA members.

 

Dan Brennan is a Managing Director and Senior Analyst at TD Cowen, specializing in life sciences and medical technology. With decades of experience in equity research and a reputation for deep industry expertise, he provides valuable strategic insights to stakeholders navigating the intersection of innovation and investment. Brennan’s ability to synthesize complex market trends and deliver actionable intelligence has made him a trusted advisor for leading companies in the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

GLP-1s and the Future of Therapeutics: Innovations, Impact, and Industry Implications

 

The rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists is transforming metabolic health, reshaping patient care, and driving significant shifts in the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries. In this session, Trine Pagh Ludvigsen, a Translational Medicine leader at Novo Nordisk, will explore the latest innovations in GLP-1 therapies, their expanding applications beyond diabetes and obesity, and the broader implications for life science tools and diagnostics companies. From clinical advancements to commercial opportunities, this discussion will provide a forward-looking perspective on how the GLP-1 revolution is influencing research, development, and market strategies across the healthcare ecosystem.

 

Trine Pagh Ludvigsen is a Scientific Director in Translational Medicine at Novo Nordisk, specializing in securing the translation from preclinic to clinical stage of Novo’s groundbreaking drug development projects all the way to the patients.

Staying Alive: Systematic Strategies for New Therapies

 

Fewer than 13% of the 22,000 recognized diseases in the world have FDA-approved treatments, according to EveryCure—and more diseases are discovered everyday. Studying them one by one costs far too much time and money. Could we find ways to tackle many diseases systematically, in parallel?

 

Broad Institute Scientist Anne Carpenter, PhD, will overview several strategies for early drug discovery that are powered by clever advancements in biotechnology and AI. These are accelerating biological discovery and may ultimately break the bottleneck, bringing more treatments to more patients and extending lifespan. Pooled optical barcode-based profiling allows testing thousands of genetic samples, which can identify their functions or reveal whether they respond to a given drug. Engineered genetic variants can be tested for thousands of diseases at once to identify phenotypes for drug screening. Cells from patients with mental conditions can be profiled for drug discovery. Some of her technologies power techbio companies reaching clinical trials. Attendees will gain a glimpse into the cutting-edge intersection of AI, biotech, and several disease areas that impact longevity: neuroscience, metabolic disease, cancer, and rare diseases.

 

Dr. Carpenter is an Institute Scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Renowned for her innovative work in applying AI and machine learning to biological research, she is a leading figure in computational biology, leading public-private consortia and advising state of the art companies (Recursion, SyzOnc, Quiver). Her lab’s open-source software, CellProfiler, has become a critical tool for image analysis in laboratories worldwide. Dr. Carpenter’s contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, reflecting her dedication to advancing our understanding of complex diseases through interdisciplinary approaches.

Panel
Revolutionizing Neurological Care: Innovations from Emerging Bio Startups

 

Join us for a discussion featuring senior executives of Octave Bio, Quiver Bioscience, and Torpedo Therapeutics as they discuss how their emerging technologies are transforming the research, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological diseases. In a field where the complexity of neurodegenerative disorders and other brain conditions often slows progress, these startups are leveraging novel biomarkers, advanced imaging techniques, and precision therapeutics to rapidly accelerate the path from research to real-world patient impact.

 

During this lively discussion, attendees will gain insights into how each company is tackling key pain points in diagnosing and treating disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. From biomarker discovery platforms that capture subtle disease signals earlier, to tailored drug delivery mechanisms that enhance therapeutic efficacy, the panelists will offer real-world examples of how innovation, collaboration, and technology convergence are shaping the next generation of neurological care.