What is the seminar about?
The SOS-RAS axis is one of the most intensively studied pathways in oncology, offering significant insights into cancer biology. But could its therapeutic potential extend beyond cancer to other diseases? Join us on September 25, 2025, for a live online seminar that follows the journey of BI-3406, a SOS1 inhibitor shared through Boehringer Ingelheim’s open innovation platform, opnMe.
As part of one of our first ‘Molecules for Collaboration’ calls, we invited researchers from around the world to submit novel hypotheses to explore new disease indications for this compound. Hear from Marco Hofmann as he shares insights into the evaluation process that narrowed over 100 submissions down to a handful of groundbreaking projects.
Gain a deeper understanding of the role of SOS1 in oncology with Matthew Sale, who will present compelling evidence for SOS1 inhibition as a targeted therapy in SOS1-mutant, RAS wild-type cancers. Then, shift the focus to diabetes with Ana Puhl and Ioannis Serafimidis, who will reveal how SOS1 inhibition may unlock a novel regenerative approach for insulin-producing β-cells1.
| Agenda | |
| Welcoming notes by Marco Hofmann | The SOS1i story: How open science accelerated RAS pathway research (2019-2025) |
| Presentation by Matthew Sale | The therapeutic potential of SOS1 inhibition in cancer |
| Introduction by Ana Puhl | Beyond oncology, evaluating SOS1 inhibition in diabetes |
| Presentation by Ioannis Serafimidis | The potential of SOS1 inhibition as a β-cell regenerative therapy for diabetes |
| Summary and interactive session with the audience | Please share your insights and questions |
Why should you attend?
In this interactive seminar, you will:
- Discover how open science can accelerate SOS1-RAS discovery across disciplines
- Gain insights into SOS1-activating mutations in cancer
- Explore a novel approach to β-cell regeneration and its implications for treating diabetes
- Engage directly with the experts and get inspired for your own research
- Get an official opnMe certificate of attendance*
About the speakers
Matthew Sale
Matthew holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher (Specialist, Step 4) in Frank McCormick’s laboratory at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Francisco, USA. Matthew’s work focuses on the mechanistic understanding of RAS signaling, notably how activation and deactivation of RAS are controlled by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), such as SOS, and GTPase-accelerating proteins (GAPs).
Ioannis Serafimidis
Ioannis holds a PhD in Molecular and Developmental Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is currently a Group Leader at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Greece. His research centers around endocrine pancreas development and function, and he is currently exploring novel methods of β-cell replenishment to treat diabetes.
Marco Hofmann
Marco holds a PhD in Biology and currently leads a group of research laboratories in the Cancer Pharmacology & Disease Positioning Department at Boehringer Ingelheim. His work is focused on KRAS-targeted therapies, combination treatments, cancer resistance mechanisms, and organoid models. His group advances projects from lead optimization through IND filing. Since joining Boehringer Ingelheim in 2011, Marco supported a range of oncology and immuno-oncology projects. He notably led a SOS1 inhibitor program from lead optimization through Phase I clinical development.
Ana Puhl
Ana holds a PhD in Biomolecular Physics (Structural Biology) and currently serves as Associate Director of Competitive Intelligence at Boehringer Ingelheim. In this role, she leads strategic intelligence efforts, delivering competitive insights in the areas of obesity and sarcopenia. Prior to this, she was a Principal Scientist in Boehringer Ingelheim’s Research Beyond Borders department, where she notably led collaborative projects focused on β-cell regeneration for the treatment of diabetes.
Reference
1 Papadimitropoulou A, Charalampous C, Kogionou P, Reinhardt D, Sonntag J, Gavalas A, Hofmann MH, Erlmann P, Franti M, Doerr J, Klein T, Willis GR, Serafimidis I. Pharmacological targeting of SOS1-RAS interaction triggers pancreatic β-cell proliferation and sustainably reverses diabetic hyperglycemia. bioRxiv 2025, 06.03.657628. DOI: 10.1101/2025.06.03.657628.
*Please note that the name and email address you provide during registration will be used to generate your certificate of attendance.