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 advancement of VXA-222 is significant for the biotech industry as it represents a novel approach to cancer treatment. Bispecific ADCs like VXA-222 have the potential to reduce off-target effects and improve therapeutic efficacy by requiring the presence of two specific antigens on tumor cells before releasing a cytotoxic payload. This “AND-gate” logic could lead to more precise targeting of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, addressing a major challenge in solid tumor therapy.
For VERAXA, this milestone validates its collaboration model and proprietary technology. The company is building a pipeline of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific T cell engagers and bispecific ADCs, using its BiTAC® format. VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a world-renowned institution.
Investors and industry observers will watch for further updates on VXA-222 as it progresses toward preclinical and clinical development. The success of this program could position VERAXA as a leader in the bispecific ADC space, potentially offering new treatment options for patients with solid tumors. For more information, the full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/qMRuJ. The latest news and updates relating to VRXA are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/VRXA.
