Oscar Segurado

ASC Therapeutics, USA

Title: Biomarkers as Key Drivers of Drug Development in Gene Therapy

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Biography

Oscar Segurado is the Chief Medical Officer for ASC Therapeutics, a fast-growing biotechnology company focused on developing curative gene-based therapies for inherited blood disorders, initially focusing on hemophilia A and B and Beta-Thalassemia. As a leading biopharma discovery company with over 12 years of experience in gene editing and stem cell technologies, we have created an end-to-end platform for gene therapy and gene editing.

Former CMO for Symvivo, Myriad Genetics and CellMax Life, Vice President for Becton Dickinson and Global Medical Head for Abbott/AbbVie (Humira).  Executive veteran with extensive global leadership experience in translational science, clinical development and global medical affairs.

Author and co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including Nature and Lancet, books and medical articles and member of several scientific and medical societies. Holding a tenured Professorship of Immunology at the University of Leon, Spain. Received PhD from the University of Wuerzburg, Germany and MD from the University of Salamanca, Spain.

Abstract

Biomarkers are tools that can facilitate selection and monitoring of gene therapies, and their proper identification and application allows patients to be treated accurately, effectively, and safely. Several biomarkers of disease, immune, cellular, and molecular responses to gene therapies are available, and the role of biomarkers will expand as gene therapies continue to develop. Selecting the right patient for the right therapy and monitoring that patient’s response to the therapy is imperative for drug discovery. With the rapid growth of gene therapies, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies face a call to action: We must establish proper selection and monitoring protocols to provide patients with the safest and most effective therapeutic options for genetic diseases. Precision medicine is changing the way we think about, prevent, treat, and monitor many diseases.