On June 18, Children’s Tumor Foundation CEO Dr. Annette Bakker will speak at the BIO International Convention 2025 in Boston—one of the world’s largest gatherings of biotech leaders, investors, and innovators.
Dr. Bakker will take the stage for the panel “Rescuing Promising but Shelved Assets: New Models to Overcome Barriers and Put Unmet Patient Needs First” to highlight how organizations like CTF can play a pivotal role in reactivating stalled drug programs, particularly for underserved diseases like NF (neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis).
Each year, promising therapies are set aside not due to scientific failure, but because of changes in funding, focus, or commercial strategy. CTF has pioneered a bold, collaborative model that helps unlock the potential of these assets and bring them back into development, accelerating treatments for patients who can’t afford to wait.
A powerful example is the recent FDA approval of Gomekli, a therapy for adults and children with NF1 that was once a deprioritized compound. Through a strategic partnership with SpringWorks Therapeutics, CTF helped reposition this therapy and move it forward, offering new hope for the NF community and a replicable model for rare disease innovation.
Dr. Bakker will be joined by leading voices from pharma, biotech, and venture capital who share a commitment to patient-driven progress and creative development pathways.
Panel Details
Title: Rescuing Promising but Shelved Assets: New Models to Overcome Barriers and Put Unmet Patient Needs First
Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
Location: BIO International Convention, Boston, MA
Moderator:
Michael A. Gladstone, Partner, Atlas Venture
Panelists:
Annette Bakker, PhD, CEO, Children’s Tumor Foundation
Samuel Blackman, MD, PhD, Founder and Strategic Advisor, Day One Biopharmaceuticals
Uche H. Iloeje, MD, SVP and Head of Global Medical Affairs, SpringWorks Therapeutics
Brent Kreider, PhD, President, Biomed Valley Discoveries
