Cara Williams
Vice President Pfizer
Dr. Cara Williams is a seasoned drug discovery leader with deep expertise in respiratory and inflammatory diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. With a PhD in Pharmacology and extensive experience advancing both small and large molecule candidates, she has successfully led multidisciplinary teams in progressing therapies from early discovery to clinical proof-of-concept. Dr. Williams is known for driving innovation through academic and biotech partnerships, strategic portfolio leadership, and the integration of advanced technologies to accelerate IPF drug development and beyond.
Seminars
- Assessing past and present targets, what has the field learned from antifibrotic failures, and is there still potential in pathways like TGF-β?
- Exploring emerging therapeutic strategies from repair and regeneration to RNA-based therapies, cell and gene therapy, and immunomodulation
- Identifying unmet opportunities by exploring what mechanisms remain underexplored, where should research efforts be focused next to drive meaningful progress?
Scientific missteps in target selection, mechanism validation, and translational predictability often set trials up for failure before they begin. This session will examine the biological assumptions that contributed to past setbacks and how we an improve early-stage decision-making.
- Target Selection & Validation: Were we confident in the mechanism of action before advancing to the clinic? Did preclinical models confirm target engagement and therapeutic relevance?
- Translational Gaps & Dosing Challenges: Did preclinical studies establish that effective doses were achievable in humans? Were PK/PD models predictive of clinical exposure and response?
- Fibrotic Pathways & Patient Variability: How did inter-patient heterogeneity impact response? Did we overlook key immune or regenerative mechanisms that may have influenced outcomes?
