Utsav Saxena
Head of Systems Biology Novo Nordisk
Utsav Saxena, Ph.D., is Head of Systems Biology at Novo Nordisk. He is a cellular and molecular biologist with broad experience in cancer biology and expertise in siRNA therapeutics, small molecule drug target identification, and validation. Having earned his PhD from Boston University, Dr. Saxena has specialized in RNAi, inducible gene expression systems, primary cell culture, and signal transduction research, with extensive experience in assay development, microscopy, and flow cytometry. At Novo Nordisk, he leads systems biology initiatives integrating molecular insights to support the development of next-generation therapies.
Seminars
Thursday 11th December 2025
Panel Discussion: Overcoming Design Challenges in Next-Generation Oligonucleotides to Maximize Selectivity, Potency & Clinical Impact
9:00 am
- What design strategies are most effective in mitigating off-target effects?
- How do teams prioritize stability vs. delivery vs. potency?
- What are the emerging trends in oligonucleotide chemistry for next-generation therapeutics?
Wednesday 10th December 2025
Assessing & Improving Specificity of Therapeutic siRNAs in Preclinical Models
4:30 pm
- Review how small chemical tweaks can dramatically improve target engagement and hybridization kinetics
- Unpack the structural features that drive binding specificity and reduce unwanted interactions with non-target transcripts
- Explore screening methods and predictive tools to de-risk oligo designs before clinical translation
