The not-for-profit organisation has revealed the keynote programme for its flagship London conference, featuring LifeArc CEO Dr Sam Barrell CBE and a panel of senior industry leaders.
ELRIG has announced the keynote speaker programme for their Drug Discovery 2026 conference, taking place at ExCeL London on 14–15 October. The event will mark the 20th anniversary of ELRIG’s flagship conference, celebrating two decades of supporting the global drug discovery community through collaboration, innovation and accessibility.
The not-for-profit, volunteer-led organisation aunveiled Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Chief Executive of LifeArc, as the opening keynote speaker at the event, followed by a keynote panel discussion on the second day, bringing together senior leaders from across the life sciences sector to explore the future of research and development.
The annual conference offers free access to scientific content and networking opportunities, attracting thousands of researchers, innovators and industry professionals from around the world.
Exploring the next era of drug discovery
A central feature of this year’s programme will be the keynote panel, ’20 Years of Discovery: Lessons from the Past, Blueprints for the Next 20’, chaired by Dr Saleha Patel of ELRIG and Constructive Bio.
Joining the discussion will be Dr Anne Phelan, Senior Vice President and Head of Target Discovery at GSK, Dr Jason Mellad, Co-founder and CEO of OtoImmune, Professor Sir Mene Pangalos, former Executive Vice-President of R&D BioPharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca and Professor Raghib Ali OBE, leader of the Our Future Health programme.
Together, the panel will examine how emerging technologies, new therapeutic approaches and collaborative partnerships are transforming the drug discovery landscape.
Broad scientific programme and industry collaboration
The conference will feature 18 scientific tracks covering areas including next generation biophysics, microbes to medicines, multiomics, AI in compound discovery and experimental design, bioconjugation approaches in oncology, CRISPR and genome engineering, medicinal chemistry and translational innovation.
ELRIG is also partnering with organisations including SLAS, Cancer Research UK, The Microbiology Society, the British Neuroscience Association and the Royal Society of Chemistry to deliver a diverse scientific programme.
Alongside the conference sessions, the exhibition hall will welcome around 3,000 attendees and feature more than 250 product and service suppliers as well as 400 scientific posters.
Additional attractions include a Breakthrough Zone for start-ups, a tech theatre, consultancy café and coaching corner. Dedicated activities for early-career professionals will include ‘Network Like a Boss’, ‘Meet & Greet’ and ‘Mini DD’ sessions, while local school students will participate through the ‘Adventures for Tomorrow’s Scientists’ initiative.
Recognising scientific achievement
The event will also host several awards recognising outstanding contributions to life sciences, emerging talent in drug discovery, innovative science and technology and high-impact poster presentations.
“As ELRIG celebrates 20 years of Drug Discovery, this year’s event is a chance to recognise how far the community has come – and to look ahead to what’s next,” said Dr Del Trezise, Chair of ELRIG. ”The programme combines world-class science with the collaborative and inclusive atmosphere that has always been at the heart of ELRIG. We’re delighted to welcome such an exceptional keynote line-up and to provide a free forum where researchers, innovators and industry leaders can come together to exchange ideas and inspire future discoveries.”
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