VERAXA Biotech (NASDAQ: VRXA) announced today the advancement of its bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (“bsADC”) program, VXA-222, after reaching a key technical milestone in its collaboration with OmniAb. The company said OmniAb has successfully completed its discovery work, allowing the program to move into its next phase. VXA-222 is designed to target two tumor antigens with a single molecule using an “AND-gate” approach intended to improve precision in treating solid tumors.
Under the collaboration launched in May 2025, OmniAb provided antibody discovery technologies, including its OmniClic platform, while VERAXA is applying its proprietary linker technology and conjugation expertise to develop and validate the lead bsADC candidate. VERAXA holds exclusive rights to develop and commercialize products arising from the collaboration, with OmniAb entitled to a share of specified revenue generated from resulting products. The full press release can be accessed at https://ibn.fm/qMRuJ.
The advancement of VXA-222 underscores VERAXA's commitment to building a premier engine for the discovery and development of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific T cell engagers, bispecific ADCs and other innovative formats. Powered by a suite of transformative technologies and guided by rigorous quality-by-design principles, the company is rapidly advancing its pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development and beyond. VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a world-renowned institution known for pioneering life science research and cutting-edge technology. BiTAC is a registered trademark of VERAXA Biotech GmbH.
This milestone is significant because it demonstrates progress in VERAXA's ability to leverage collaborative partnerships to advance novel therapeutic modalities. The AND-gate approach used in VXA-222 aims to enhance tumor specificity and reduce off-target effects, potentially addressing limitations of conventional ADCs. If successful, VXA-222 could offer a more precise treatment option for patients with solid tumors, a therapeutic area with high unmet need. The collaboration with OmniAb provides VERAXA access to advanced antibody discovery capabilities, while VERAXA contributes its proprietary linker technology and conjugation expertise, creating a synergistic development pathway.
Investors and stakeholders can monitor the latest news and updates relating to VRXA in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/VRXA. The company's forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These include factors detailed in the company's filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
