Drug Discovery USA 2026
Emerging multifunctional small molecule and biologic approaches to drug difficult targets.
Free-to-attend!
Event Partner
Event Partner
Date
June 16 – 17 2026
Location
Pfizer, Cambridge (MA) USA
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Recent advances in chemical biology and protein engineering are expanding the boundaries of which proteins can be modulated pharmacologically. Multifunctional small molecules (such as molecular glues, targeted protein degraders, and allosteric modulators) are enabling precise control over protein stability, localization and activity, often by exploiting endogenous cellular pathways.
In parallel, novel biologic modalities, including engineered antibodies, multi-specific binders, peptide scaffolds, nucleotide and RNA therapeutics, offer complementary strategies to engage complex or transient target surfaces with high affinity and specificity. Collectively, these approaches are reshaping early‑stage drug discovery by providing versatile platforms to modulate challenging targets through mechanisms beyond simple inhibition.
Furthermore, hybrid strategies that integrate small molecules with biologics, such as antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) and chemically enhanced biologics, are demonstrating synergistic potential. Together, these emerging technologies highlight a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape in which difficult to drug targets are increasingly accessible, opening new avenues for disease intervention and precision medicine. Continued innovation in molecular design, delivery, and mechanistic understanding will be critical to fully realize the promise of these next‑generation modalities.
Track Information
Day 1 – Tuesday, June 16
Auditorium 1- AM
Small molecule & peptide drug screening and design approaches
Track Chairs: Aled Edwards (SGC)
Small molecule drug discovery is a multi-stage process that combines computational design and experimental screening to identify and optimize new therapeutic agents. Topics in this track will include structural biology, computational chemistry, DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening, and chemical biology approaches to validate mechanism and translate molecules toward in vivo studies.
Auditorium 1 – PM
Molecular glues and degraders
Track Chairs: Dafydd Owen (Pfizer)
Molecular glues and degrader platforms represent transformative modalities in targeted protein degradation (TPD), leveraging endogenous cellular degradation pathways to eliminate disease-causing proteins, including historically “undruggable” targets. In contrast to conventional inhibitors that primarily suppress protein function, these approaches enable physical removal of the target protein from the cell. This session will highlight recent developments in molecular glue and degrader strategies.
Day 2 – Wednesday, June 17
Auditorium 1 – AM
Large molecules
Track Chairs: Megan Ericson (AstraZeneca)
Auditorium 1 – PM
AI in drug discovery
Track Chairs: Karin Noy (Pfizer)
Science Committee
Conference Directors
Aled Edwards
Structural Genomics Consortium
Marija Tadin-Strapps
Pfizer
Swarna Balasubramanian
AstraZeneca
Track Chairs
Dafydd Owen
Pfizer
Megan Ericson
Karin Noy
Pfizer
Speakers
Meet our keynote speakers for Day 1 & Day 2 of this conference.
John Tallarico
Global Head of Discovery Sciences
Novartis
John Tallarico leads Discovery Sciences at Novartis, a global multi-disciplinary team driving innovation at the frontiers of chemistry, biology, and data science. With over two decades of experience in early drug discovery, John has helped shape Novartis’s approaches to bringing together novel biology insights, human genetics data, target discovery tools, phenotypic screening, and emerging therapeutic modalities to invent new medicines across all Novartis therapeutic areas. A former academic and biotech founder, he brings a deep scientific perspective to strategic collaborations that bridge science and business.
Andrew White
Co-Founder & CTO
Edison
Andrew is Co-Founder and CTO at Edison, where he has led multiple AI for science projects including ChemCrow (first LLM agents in chemistry), ether0 (first reasoning model in a scientific domain), and paperqa (first superhuman literature agent). Andrew has been a professor and researcher in ML in chemistry, explainable AI, statistical mechanics, and chemical engineering, and has received numerous awards, including junior investigator awards from the NSF and NIH. Andrew is an active member of the scientific community as a peer reviewer for over 30 journals, multiple national and private grant awarding institutions.
Agenda
View the agenda for this conference.
Exhibitors
Find exhibitors on the event floorplan.
Venue & Accommodation
Pfizer
1 Portland St
Cambridge
MA 02139
United States
Book your accommodation with ELRIG’s Registration & Accommodation Partner MICE Concierge Ltd. More details coming soon.
Please note: if you are speaking at this event the ELRIG team will contact you directly regarding accommodation.
Resources
Social Media
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Sponsorship Opportunites
We have several sponsorship opportunities available to exhibitors that can provide a wide range of new and exciting benefits for your organisation. We are also happy to discuss a tailored package to suit your budget.
Or visit our interactive floorplan to view available exhibitor spaces and book your booth at this conference.
FAQs
Are ELRIG events really FREE to attend?
We are a not-for-profit organisation hosting events for the drug discovery community. We believe that access to high quality science should be accessible to all. Find out more here.
We’re grateful for the support from our exhibitors who help us cover the costs of our events from sponsorship and stand sales. If you come to our events, please take the time to visit our exhibition and meet our exhibitors.
Or if you’re interested in exhibiting at an event, check out our sponsorship page.
How do I change / cancel my registration?
If your circumstances change and you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket. Your confirmation email includes a link to the cancellation site.
Delegates: What do I need to bring with me?
Refreshments will be provided, please bring your own reusable cups to help us reduce plastic waste at our events.
Can I register on arrival?
ELRIG events are often sold out and we are unable to cater to drop-ins. If you haven’t pre-registered we may be unable to let you in.
Event Partners & Sponsors
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