The Oncology Insights Podcast - Ewen Ward, Dr. Chen, and Dr. Thurber: Advancing ADC Innovation in Oncology - Ep. 16

In this episode of The Oncology Insights Podcast, Ewen Ward from Hanson Wade Group, Dr. Daniel Chen from Synthetic Design Lab and Genesis BioCapital, and Dr. Greg Thurber from the University of Michigan join Dr. William Oh to discuss current advances and future directions in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development. The discussion explores how ADCs combine targeted delivery with therapeutic payloads, the role of linker design and payload selection in treatment development, how ADCs may interact with the immune system, and how emerging engineered formats could address current challenges in oncology drug development.

What you’ll learn: 

• ADC advantages and limits
• Clinical impact of ADCs
• ADC research priorities
• Future ADC innovation
• Challenges in oncology outcomes

Meet the guest:

Ewen Ward is Program Director for the World ADC Event Series at Hanson Wade. He works closely with the global ADC community, conducting market research and translating insights into scientific agendas and speaker programs for World ADC conferences in London and San Diego. His role focuses on connecting researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals to highlight key trends, challenges, and innovations shaping ADC development.

Dr. Daniel Chen is a physician scientist, pioneer in cancer immunotherapy and protein engineering, and co-author of the Cancer Immunity Cycle. He spent over a decade at Genentech as Vice President and Global Head of Cancer Immunotherapy Development, leading the development of immune therapies, ADCs, targeted treatments, and diagnostic strategies. He led the clinical development of atezolizumab from preclinical studies through commercialization. He is Founder & CEO of Synthetic Design Lab and Founding Partner of Genesis BioCapital, focused on next-generation engineered therapeutics.

Dr. Greg Thurber is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on quantitative pharmacology, drug distribution, and predictive models for cancer therapies. His laboratory uses in vivo microscopy and mathematical simulations to understand how therapeutic molecules, including small molecules, peptides, antibodies, and ADCs, move through the body. His work aims to improve cancer treatment design, efficacy, and safety.

Listen to Ewen Ward, Dr. Daniel Chen, and Dr. Greg Thurber on The Oncology Insights Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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