Webinar 3: Reference Materials for HTS/NGS-Based Adventitious Virus Detection

Teams / 12:00-14:00 CET
10th November 2026

REGISTRATION OPENS SOON!

Biological Reference Materials (BRM) Webinar Series – Three-Part Webinar Series 

Purpose of the Webinar Series

Co-hosted by the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration (AFSA) and endorsed by the International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS), this webinar series will increase awareness and practical understanding of biological reference materials and their role in supporting the transition from in vivo to in vitro methods for vaccine release testing. This webinar series will present the following: 

  • Case studies that illustrate how reference standards can support implementation of in vitro methods across different vaccine products and technologies 
  • Regulatory expectations during method transitions 
  • Real-world examples on the use of appropriate reference standards, including guidance for situations where no reference standard or material yet exists 

Series Overview  

The series is designed to move participants from foundational concepts to applied examples, connecting regulatory expectations with practical approaches for adopting in vitro methods in vaccine release testing.

Webinar 1 introduces core principles and regulatory considerations, illustrated through DTaP and Hepatitis B examples. Watch the recording here.

Webinar 2 focuses on reference material lifecycle management and transition planning, using Rabies and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) case studies. REGISTER

Webinar 3 examines the use of reference viruses for next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based adventitious virus detection.

Time (CET)SessionSpeaker
12:00–12:05Welcome & Session ObjectivesJanette Turner, Humane World for Animals
Bio
12:05–12:20Current Regulatory ExpectationsLaurent Mallet, European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare
12:20–12:40Reference Materials for NGS-Based Adventitious Virus DetectionArifa Khan, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
12:40–13:00Industry case study: Title TBALeyla Diaz, Merck
13:00–13:20Industry case study: Title TBACarine Logvinoff, Sanofi
13:20–13:40Panel Discussion / Q&AModerated by Humane World for Animals
13:40–13:50Series Wrap-UpJanette Turner, Humane World for Animals