Rhythm sponsored satellite symposium at ECE 2026

08-11 May 2026, Prague - Czech Republic

About the event

Join us at the ECE 2026 Congress on Monday 10th May 2026, 12:50–14:05 CEST in South Hall 2, for the Rhythm sponsored satellite symposium entitled 'Advancing care in rare melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway diseases: Focus on Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS)'.

The session will bring the journey of a patient to life, illustrating the need for strong collaboration between paediatric and adult endocrinologists.

During this session, Professor Philip Beales (University College London, United Kingdom), Professor Professor Matthias Blüher (University of Leipzig, Germany) and Dr Pauline Faucher (Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, France) will be discussing:

  • Welcome and introduction
  • Overview of rare MC4R pathway diseases as a root cause of hyperphagia and obesity
  • Impact of early-onset obesity and urgency to treat
  • Real-world evidence in treating BBS
  • Interactive Q&A session

Day 1 10 May 2026

  • 12:50

    Welcome and introduction

  • Overview of rare MC4R pathway diseases as a root cause of hyperphagia and obesity

    by Prof Philip Beales

  • Impact of early-onset obesity and urgency to treat

    by Prof Matthias Blüher

  • Real-world evidence in treating BBS

    by Dr Pauline Faucher

  • Interactive Q&A session

Introducing the Speakers

Prof. Philip Beales is Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, NIHR Senior Investigator Emeritus and a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Science. He is best known for his clinical and genetic research (25+ years) into ciliopathies, leading research culminating in novel gene discoveries for Bardet-Biedl syndrome and several other disorders. Prof. Beales continues to pursue his interests in early-onset obesity, retinal and renal disease, as well as translational science and therapeutics for ciliopathies.

Prof Philip Beales

University College London, United Kingdom
Prof. Matthias Blüher is a professor of clinical obesity research at the University of Leipzig, as well as a senior physician at the Department of Endocrinology and Nephrology at Leipzig University Hospital. He heads the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults and serves as Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Metabolism, Obesity, and Vascular Research (HI-MAG), which he co-founded in 2018. Furthermore, he initiated and developed the world’s largest adipose tissue bank, an invaluable resource for fundamental research into obesity-related diseases.

Prof Matthias Blüher

University of Leipzig, Germany
Dr Pauline Faucher is a clinical endocrinologist and researcher specialising in genetic and rare forms of obesity at Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France, and is co-head of the French National Reference Centre for Rare Obesity Disorders. Faucher’s research focuses on acquired hypothalamic obesity, nutritional interventions, and real-world outcomes in patients with obesity caused by genetic impairments. She has a particular interest in translating pathophysiological insights into tailored treatment strategies for Bardet-Biedl syndrome and other melanocortin-4 receptor pathway diseases.

Dr Pauline Faucher

Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, France