VERAXA Biotech AG (NASDAQ: VRXA), a developer of next-generation antibody-based cancer therapies, announced the appointment of Raju Willener as chief financial officer, effective immediately. Willener brings more than three decades of international financial leadership experience spanning global capital markets, investment banking, corporate finance, asset management, and strategic leadership. He will report to CEO and Co-Founder Christoph Antz, Ph.D., and is expected to support the company's capital strategy, strategic opportunities, and continued development of its proprietary BiTAC(R) technology platform and oncology pipeline.
Prior to joining VERAXA, Willener served as director of corporate development at Exentis Group AG before being appointed CFO in 2025, where he led M&A initiatives, financial strategy, and key corporate functions. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive and investment positions overseeing areas including corporate finance, capital markets, investor relations, and investment portfolios exceeding CHF 30 billion in assets under management. His extensive background in financial leadership is expected to be instrumental as VERAXA advances its pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development and beyond.
The appointment comes at a critical time for VERAXA, which is focused on 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 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. With BiTAC(R) as a registered trademark of VERAXA Biotech GmbH, the company is rapidly advancing its pipeline toward clinical development.
Willener's expertise in capital markets and corporate finance is expected to play a key role in VERAXA's capital strategy and strategic opportunities, potentially impacting the company's ability to fund its research and development efforts. This move signals a commitment to strengthening its financial leadership to support the growth of its oncology pipeline. The broader biotech industry may see this as a positive indicator of VERAXA's focus on advancing its therapies, which could ultimately lead to new treatment options for cancer patients.
For more information about VERAXA Biotech, visit the company's newsroom at http://nnw.fm/VRXA. The full press release is available at https://nnw.fm/jcHOU.
