Zurich, Switzerland, July 27, 2026
VERAXA Biotech AG announced the advancement of its VXA-222 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (bsADC) program after successfully achieving a key technical milestone in its discovery collaboration with OmniAb, Inc. The milestone marks the completion of OmniAb’s antibody discovery work and transitions the program into its next phase of development. VXA-222 is designed as a next-generation bispecific ADC employing an innovative “AND-gate” targeting strategy to recognize two tumor-associated antigens simultaneously, with the goal of improving precision while expanding treatment opportunities for patients with solid tumors that have significant unmet medical needs.
Joint Discovery Collaboration Delivers Key Development Milestone
The collaboration between VERAXA Biotech and OmniAb, established in May 2025, combines the strengths of both companies to accelerate the development of advanced antibody-based cancer therapies. OmniAb contributed its proprietary transgenic antibody discovery platforms, including the OmniClic™ common light-chain transgenic chicken technology, to generate naturally optimized, fully human antibody candidates through in vivo affinity maturation. Following the successful completion of the antibody discovery phase, VERAXA will now lead the next stage of development by selecting the lead candidate and conducting in vitro and in vivo validation using its proprietary ADC linker technology and specialized conjugation platform.
VXA-222 Uses Novel AND-Gate Bispecific ADC Technology
VXA-222 is designed using an innovative AND-gate bispecific antibody-drug conjugate approach, enabling a single therapeutic molecule to recognize two distinct tumor antigens simultaneously before delivering its cytotoxic payload. This dual-targeting strategy aims to improve tumor selectivity while minimizing off-target effects, potentially enhancing both efficacy and safety compared with conventional antibody-drug conjugates. The program leverages VERAXA’s proprietary linker chemistry and conjugation expertise, which are intended to optimize payload delivery while maintaining stability and therapeutic activity. Under the collaboration agreement, VERAXA retains exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize products utilizing the antibodies generated through the partnership, while OmniAb will receive specified revenue-sharing payments upon future commercial success.
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Next-Generation ADC Strategy Expands Oncology Pipeline
The advancement of VXA-222 strengthens VERAXA Biotech’s growing portfolio of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, which includes bispecific T-cell engagers, bispecific ADCs, and proprietary BiTAC® platforms targeting a broad range of cancers. Built upon scientific innovations originating from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the company’s development strategy focuses on applying advanced antibody engineering technologies to address difficult-to-treat solid tumors with high unmet medical need. By successfully completing the discovery phase and advancing VXA-222 into preclinical development, VERAXA Biotech continues to expand its oncology pipeline while demonstrating the value of strategic collaborations that integrate complementary discovery technologies and antibody engineering expertise.
Source: VERAXA Biotech press release
