VERAXA Biotech AG (NASDAQ: VRXA) announced the advancement of its bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (bsADC) program, VXA-222, after reaching a key technical milestone in its collaboration with OmniAb (NASDAQ: OABI). The company reported that 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.
The collaboration, launched in May 2025, leverages OmniAb’s antibody discovery technologies, including its OmniClic platform, while VERAXA applies its proprietary linker technology and conjugation expertise to develop and validate the lead bsADC candidate. Under the terms, 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.
This advancement is significant for the biotech industry as it highlights the potential of bispecific ADCs to enhance therapeutic precision. The “AND-gate” mechanism aims to ensure that the drug is activated only when both target antigens are present, potentially reducing off-target effects and improving safety profiles for patients with solid tumors. For VERAXA, this milestone validates the company’s technology platform and collaboration model, potentially accelerating its pipeline toward clinical development.
VERAXA is 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. The company is rapidly advancing its pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development. VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
For investors, the progress of VXA-222 could signal future value creation as the program moves closer to clinical trials. The collaboration with OmniAb provides access to advanced antibody discovery tools, reducing development risks. The broader implications for the oncology field include the potential for more targeted therapies that could improve patient outcomes in hard-to-treat cancers.
For more information, visit the VERAXA newsroom at http://ibn.fm/VRXA and the full press release at https://ibn.fm/qMRuJ.
