Creative Disruption: AI & Next-Gen Therapies – What’s coming in 2026?

Get ready to shake up the future of AI, advanced therapies, and biologics at #CreativeDisruption – it’s going to be truly thought-provoking!

Want to hear what sector’s most influential thinkers say about where AI and next-gen therapies are heading in 2026?

AI is rapidly reshaping emerging biotech, advanced therapies and biologics in the UK. Machine learning now enables the analysis of large and complex datasets, supporting the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets and improving the modelling of biological responses. This leads to more precise and better targeted biologics and advanced therapies.

UK biotech organisations are also forming deeper partnerships with technology companies to access advanced data analytics and embed AI more effectively into research pipelines. Government backed initiatives are strengthening this progress and accelerating innovation.

AI driven drug repurposing is gaining momentum, helping redirect existing compounds to new indications, reducing development timelines and improving cost efficiency. With these advances accelerating, the UK remains strongly positioned to lead in biologics and advanced therapies both scientifically and commercially.

Chatham House Rules apply – “what goes on in the Forum, stays in the Forum – so to speak!”

Who Should Attend

The #CreativeDisruption Forum is designed for professionals working in life sciences who are driving innovation and growth. It is ideal for:

• Founders and executives of biotech, medtech, and healthtech companies
• R&D and clinical development leaders
• Investors and business strategists in the healthcare sector
• Innovation managers, consultants, and academic partners involved in commercialisation
• Students and early-career researchers interested in understanding how scientific innovation translates into successful business ventures

Schedule:

10.00 – 10.30 – Arrival and Networking

10.30 – 10.50 – Introductions to ARC West London (Andrew Davies and Deborah Spencer), ThermoFisher (Ashley Box and Patrick Arnott), TCR Solutions (Peter Maclennan and Davy Yeung) Digipac Consultancy (Kamile Iris Ozbek, Nilsu Pinar and Cansu Akyar)

10.50- 10.55 – Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham – to talk about the Upstream London initiative

10.55 – 11.25 – Keynote Session: How Emerging Biotechs Should Utilise Existing AI with Amjad Khan (Pfizer and Changely.AI) & Shabnam Raja (Cognizant) & Vik Khuana (Bristows LLC).

11.20-11.35 – Keynote Session: Chiara Bruckman, Process & Analytical Development, Thermo Fisher Scientific – challenges & trends in mRNA Development

11.35 – 12.10 – Keynote Session: Latest Trends in Biologics Companies

Chiara Bruckman, ThermoFisher Scientific

Andrew Buchanan, Stealth Biotech

Chris Ulman, Stratosvir

Jeff Drew, Kindling Bio

12.10-12.30 – Coffee Break & Networking

12.30 – 13.00 – Keynote Session: Strategies for Advanced Therapeutics Companies

Prof Alan Boyd, Boyds

Kerstin Papenfuss, Deep Science Ventures

Aleks Guvenel, Quell Therapeutics

Pedro Correa de Sampaio, Neobe Therapeutics

13.00 – 13.30 – Keynote Session: Field Insights from Leading Companies

David Boothe, Exert Therapeutics

Joe Healy, NanoSyrinx

David Findlay, Rostra Therapeutics

James Catt, Imphatech

Dan Gooding, Nuformix plc

13.30 – 14.30 – Lunch Break and networking

14.30 – 15.15 – Workshops

15.15 – 15.45 – Workshop Group Leader Presentations

15.45 – 16.00 – Closing with Prof. Tony Sedgwick

16.00 – 17:00 – Networking and Drinks at ARC Hammersmith

17:00 – Onwards – Unofficial Drinks at The Blue Boat (BYO – Buy Your Own)