Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 8th Annual
Emerging Drug Targets
Disease-Related Molecular Complexes & Their Chemical Modulators
September 29 – October 1, 2026
The Emerging Drug Targets conference stream covers molecular targets that have high medical relevance but until recently have been intractable to modulation by small molecule or peptide-based modalities for therapeutic purposes. Thanks to innovations in medicinal and biophysical chemistry as well as an increase in integrated computational power partly due to machine learning, small molecule as well as peptide-based therapeutics are witnessing a renaissance of drug discovery and development progress. Join colleagues to hear case studies of new chemical agents progressing in the hit-to-lead stage and early drug development. Stay abreast of tomorrow’s potential new therapeutics, discuss pressing obstacles, and learn from one another in Q&A, small group discussion, networking, and poster sessions.
Who should attend: Medicinal Chemists, Biophysical Chemists, Discovery Chemists, Molecular Pharmacologists, Discovery Peptide Chemists, Discovery Oncologists, Immunology Discovery, Preclinical Pharmacologists
Coverage will include, but is not limited to:
- Cancer Targets: Degrader & Chemical Approaches
- Molecular glues
- Activators and stabilizers
- Covalent inhibitors
- Synthetic lethal inhibitors
- Transcription-factor modulators
- Targets such as KRAS & other small G proteins, helicases, intracellular kinases, transcription factors, GPCRs
- Autoimmunity & CNS: PPI Modulators
- Neurodegenerative targets such as Tau and Gcase
- Innate immunity receptors
- Nuclear receptors
- Adaptor proteins
- Obesity Targets: Peptides & Beyond
- GLP1-targeted peptide compounds
- GLP1-targeted small molecule compounds
- Amycretin and other non-GLP1 incretin targets
- Non-incretin obesity targets
The deadline for priority consideration is March 13, 2026.
All proposals are subject to review by session chairpersons and/or the Scientific Advisory Committee to ensure the overall quality of the conference program. Additionally, as per Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s policy, a select number of vendors and consultants who provide products and services will be offered opportunities for podium presentation slots based on a variety of Corporate Sponsorships.
Opportunities for Participation: