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Advancing Itch Science: Bridging Research, Clinical Care, and Industry Innovation

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1: Friday, November 6, 2026 - Industry & Innovation Summit

11:00 am

Registration Desk Opens

12:00 pm - 12:45 pm

Networking Lunch

1:00 pm - 2:00 PM

Industry-Sponsored Session

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm

Panel: Drug Development in Itch — Challenges & Opportunities

  • Endpoints (itch, NRS, sleep, neural biomarkers)
  • Patient-centered outcomes
  • Regulatory persepectives

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Break

3:00 pm - 3:45 pm

Pipeline Accelerators

  • Real-world data
  • Smartphones & wearables for itch behavior
  • Biomarker-enabled trials (skin, blood, imaging)

3:45 pm - 4:15 pm

Patient Advocacy & Access Session

  • Patient organization perspectives
  • Health disparities in itch care
  • Patient to Patient Engagement Consortium

4:15 pm - 5:00 pm

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Plenary

Neuroimmune Revolution in Itch—From Bench to Care

  • Sensory neuron–immune crosstalk
  • Translational breakthroughs
  • Future neuro-dermatology landscape

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Welcome Reception & Poster Preview Session

Join us for light refreshments and food, and visit the industry exhibits.

Day 2: Saturday, November 7, 2026 - Scientific & Clinical Itch Congress

7:00 am

Registration Desk Opens

7:45 am - 8:30 am

Breakfast & Networking

8:30 am - 8:40 am

Opening Remarks & Day Overview

8:40 am - 9:20 am

Foundational Plenary: Central vs Peripheral Itch Circuits

9:20 am - 10:45 am

Session I: Neuroimmune Mechanisms of Chronic Itch

  • Cytokine pathways
  • MRGPRs, TRP channels
  • Mast cell–nerve synapse biology
  • Glial modulation & spinal itch circuits

10:45 am - 11:00 am

Break

11:00 am - 12:15 pm

Session II: Translational & Biomarker Advances

  • Spatial transcriptomics & nerve imaging
  • Animal models of itch beyond mice
  • Mini-posters: flash talks

12:15pm - 1:15 pm

Industry-Sponsored Session

Poster Session

1:15 pm - 2:00 pm

Clinical Plenary: Treating Severe itch—What Works Now & Next

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

Session III: Emerging Therapies & Unmet Needs

  • Biologics pipeline
  • Small molecules
  • Neuromodulation & behavioral therapy
  • Mini-posters: flash talks

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Session IV: Diversity, Disparities & Patient Experience

  • Itch in skin of color
  • Psychodermatology & itch anxiety feedback loops
  • Sleep disruption: new data

4:15 pm - 5:00 pm

Closing Roundtable: Building a National Itch Research Network

  • Data & biorepository collaboration
  • Annual trainee awards
  • Advocacy initiatives
  • Policy & payer engagement

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Awards & Closing Remarks

  • Best poster (trainee)
  • Rising itch investigator award
  • Announcement: next summit

5:30 pm

Adjourn

(Agenda subject to change)