AI, Antibodies, and Patient-Centered Innovation: Insights from the Festival of Biologics 2025

The 2025 Festival of Biologics showcased the cutting edge of biologic discovery and development, and Team KC consultants Haley Gallagher & Angel Kleiman were on the ground in San Diego, CA gathering insights and exploring how the latest innovations are shaping the industry.

The Festival of Biologics is an annual meeting for the life science community that focuses on bridging the gap between academia and industry. We sat down with two of our consultants, Angel Kleiman and Haley Gallagher, to hear about their biggest takeaways, favorite talks, and personal insights from the conference.

Q: What was one of the most interesting insights you took away from the conference?

Haley: “One thing that really stood out to me at the Festival of Biologics was how much the conversation has shifted—not just about patient outcomes, but about patient experience. There were some great talks on things like independent drug delivery and reducing the need for immunosuppressants. It all tied into this bigger theme around biobetters—not just improving efficacy, but giving patients more choice and making sure treatments fit into their lives. It felt like the industry is starting to ask, "How do we make what works really work for patients?" —which is an encouraging direction.”

Angel: “I was surprised to learn that even though newer biologics can be produced at a lower cost, those savings don’t always make it to the patients. Barriers like complex clinical guidelines, exclusivity contracts, and slow provider adoption often prevent cost savings from reaching the people who need them most. Newer biologic categories offer a promising path to more affordable care, but it’s clear we need regulation, broader awareness, and coordinated implementation to see the benefits.”

Q: What was your favorite talk or presentation?

Haley: "My favorite talk covered single-molecule and single-cell microscopy of mRNA LNPs. The researchers are developing a new imaging platform that allows them to look at the distribution of RNAs inside LNPs under more realistic conditions. By shooting different color lasers at anLNP, they’re able to get a better understanding of how the LNPs are loaded with RNAs. Funnily enough, they found that RNAs were distributed in an acorn shape.”

Angel: "One standout was a presentation on patient-led innovation in rare cancer research. When Bill Paseman was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma (p1RCC), a rare kidney cancer subtype, he took research into his own hands. Instead of relying solely on traditional treatments, Bill sequenced his own genome and organized a hackathon to have researchers, engineers, and students analyze his data. It was such a powerful example of how patient-driven initiatives can really move science forward.”

Q: Did you notice overarching themes throughout the conference?

Haley: “There’s definitely a renewed focus on antibody therapies, with many sessions highlighting a potential market shift back toward these tried-and-true approaches—even as newer biologics continue to emerge.”

Angel: “Another major theme, which lines up with other conferences we’ve attended in 2025, is the growing role of AI—especially in high-throughput screening and improving data quality. There was a lot of buzz around how AI is helping scientists work faster and smarter. We heard about organizations going from advancing just one or two drug candidates per year to exploring 20–30+ promising targets in parallel. While not every program results in an immediate IND filing, the sheer acceleration in discovery shows how AI is transforming the pace of innovation.”

Q: What inspired you most about the conference experience?

Haley: “What I liked most was seeing real progress. So many people shared preliminary drugs and data, and a lot of it showed really promising metrics. It was reassuring to see the amount of work happening behind the scenes. You hear about failure all the time, but it’s great to see some success.”

Angel: “It’s inspiring to see such a wide range of people—scientists, clinicians, technologists, and patients—come together to share insights and push the field forward. From new approaches to CAR-T and antibody engineering to creative problem-solving for long-standing challenges, the conference highlighted how collaboration and cross-disciplinary thinking continue to drive real innovation in biologics.”

Q: How did attending the conference benefit you personally or professionally?

Haley: “I’ve always found the whole drug development cycle really interesting, even though we usually focus on the preclinical stage with our clients. Attending the conference helped me see how everything fits together and gave me a better big-picture perspective that I can bring back to my work.”

Angel: “As a consultant, attending the Festival of Biologics gave me direct insight into emerging trends in biologics, especially around CAR-T cell therapies, antibody discovery, and patient-led innovation. What stood out to me was how many persistent scientific challenges—like tumor targeting or delivery—are being approached in entirely new ways. It’s easy to develop tunnel vision in day-to-day project work, but hearing diverse perspectives across industry and academia helped me reframe some of the hurdles we encounter with clients. It was a great reminder that staying rooted in science, while embracing cross-disciplinary thinking, is what elevates good consulting work into great work.”

It's always exciting to hear firsthand from our team members when they return from events like the Festival of Biologics, and Haley and Angel's takeaways remind us how quickly the field is evolving!

At Karchem Consulting, we’re scientists first and always focused on staying ahead of the curve when it comes to scientific innovation and emerging trends. Conferences like the Festival of Biologics give our team fresh insights that strengthen the strategic, science-driven service we provide to clients. By staying looped into the latest developments, we help biotech and pharma teams navigate complex challenges and bring innovative therapies to market. To learn more about how we support clients in early-stage development, get in touch with us!