Amsterdam Immunogenicity and Tolerance Seminar: Join EpiVax in Amsterdam

Before we get to the scary stuff, have you registered for the 9th annual Amsterdam Immunogenicity and Tolerance Seminar yet? This flagship immunology conference brings together global leaders in immunogenicity and tolerance research, and we’d love to see you there. We have an amazing line up of talks planned (see details here). A range of speakers from Cardiff and the UK, Mainz, Germany, and Paris will be weighing in on our favorite topics!

We’re especially excited about the speaker lineup at this year’s Amsterdam Immunogenicity Seminar:

• Femke Broere (AMC) will share insights on a novel Treg epitope therapy being explored for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Sally Ward will discuss the role of FcRn inhibition in modulating autoimmune disease.
• I’ll present new findings on non-antibody scaffold proteins and explore the regional and global implications of HLA restriction on immune response.
• Plus, we’ll hear from 7 other experts in the fields of tolerance induction, regulatory T cells, and immunogenicity risk assessment.

We look forward to seeing you in Amsterdam! And if you’re also heading to BioEurope in Munich, let us know—we’ll be there connecting with fellow biotech innovators and drug development leaders.

Fearless Science and Truth in Biotechnology

“Science without Fear” has been our motto for nearly 25 years. There is a reason that we have adopted that motto and believe in it. Speaking the truth sometimes takes courage, and science is all about truth. Our job as scientists (and yours!) is to follow the facts and to create new technologies, new medicines, based on new truths. If the facts are incorrect, or are deliberately falsified, the whole construct falls apart. And, I believe, having a strong moral compass is essential for running a biotech business too.

Setting aside politics (Oy!), a moral compass is missing for some people in biotech. Not too long ago, we had visits from the FBI and, separately, the SEC. The SEC was investigating a company that was promoting our technology to increase the value of their stock (without our permission, needless to say!). That company recently declared bankruptcy and disappeared. Good riddance! There’s no room for “I know a guy” in good, solid science. 

Meanwhile, the FBI came to our office to warn us that foreign governments were after our technology. Bill and Matt reassured me (again) that we have solid cybersecurity systems in place to protect our tools and our servers, that make it impossible to hack in (look up “segmentation” if you want to know more).

Point being, there are bad people in biotechnology – keep an eye out for them. And to quote Jimin (from BTS) – be a good human! 

At EpiVax, we hew to truth and facts, and follow our moral compass. When we publish, when we present, we stick with the facts. Sometimes we have to provide facts that don’t sit well with the recipient of the information, but ‘the facts are the facts’ and we are fearless. Maybe that’s why we’ve been around for 25 years (so far!).

Picture of our 25th “Lab Day at the Beach” above.

Be a Good Human! Give Thanks! 

I would like to give a special thanks to the Amsterdam Immunogenicity and Tolerance Organizing Committee:

Corine Kruiswijk (Director, Translational Research, Intravacc), Christiane Gerke, PhD (Head of Vaccine Programs & Vaccine Innovation Development, Institut Pasteur), Marcel Hoefnagel (Senior Scientist/Assessor, College ter Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen), Elly van Riet (Senior Scientist, TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative) and Brian Roberts, PhD (Scientific Director, Preclinical Immunology, EpiVax Inc.)

EpiVax at Immunogenicity and Tolerance Events
For nearly 25 years, EpiVax has led the field in immunoinformatics and tolerance-driven vaccine design. Our presence at events like the Amsterdam Immunogenicity and Tolerance Seminar and BioEurope Munich reflects our ongoing commitment to sharing cutting-edge science and promoting ethical biotech development. If you’re working in biologics, vaccines, or autoimmune research, we invite you to connect with us at these events—or reach out any time.

Be Well! Stay Happy! And get your new COVID vaccine … I did! #VaccinesWork!

-Annie