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). OmniAb successfully completed its discovery work, enabling 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. This milestone underscores the progress in combining OmniAb’s antibody discovery capabilities with VERAXA’s expertise in linker and conjugation technologies to create next-generation therapeutics.
The advancement of VXA-222 is significant because it represents a novel approach to cancer treatment. Traditional ADCs target a single antigen, but by engaging two tumor-associated antigens, the AND-gate logic aims to enhance tumor selectivity and reduce off-target effects. This could potentially improve the therapeutic index for solid tumors, which are notoriously difficult to treat due to heterogeneous antigen expression. The collaboration leverages OmniAb’s OmniClic platform, which enables the generation of bispecific antibodies with controlled geometry, and VERAXA’s proprietary linker technology that ensures stable conjugation and controlled payload release.
VERAXA is building a pipeline of antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific T cell engagers and ADCs. The company was founded on scientific breakthroughs at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The BiTAC® platform, a registered trademark of VERAXA Biotech GmbH, is central to its discovery efforts. This advancement highlights the potential of collaborative innovation in the biotech sector, where combining complementary technologies can accelerate the development of targeted cancer therapies.
For more information, see the full press release here. Updates on VERAXA Biotech are available in the company’s newsroom at ibn.fm/VRXA.
