The addition of a clinical-stage FLT3-targeting cancer antibody program acts as steppingstone for further pipeline and technology expansion.
HEIDELBERG, Germany, January 29, 2024 -- VERAXA Biotech GmbH, an emerging leader in designing novel cancer immunotherapies, today provided an update on its pipeline development strategy in light of the recent acquisition of Synimmune GmbH. The transaction added a clinical-stage, Fc-enhanced cancer antibody targeting the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), a receptor overexpressed in several acute leukemias, to VERAXA’s proprietary pipeline. Going forward, VERAXA will continue expanding its proprietary antibody and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) development activities with additional clinical study starts.
“We are entering a transformative period for VERAXA and the integration of Synimmune’s activities acts as a catalyst for the company’s clinical development strategy. Our goal is to establish a sustainable clinical pipeline of novel and differentiated oncology programs geared towards achieving superior efficacy, while minimizing the burden of side effects for patients,” commented Dr. Christoph Antz, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of VERAXA. “Adding the first clinical program to our set-up will help accelerate the expansion of our development organization, in addition to bringing in substantial indication and target biology know-how and expertise.”
“Our guiding principles in advancing VERAXA’s pipeline are ambitious and driven by our highly innovative antibody formats and core platform technologies with a laser-sharp focus on advancing medical options for patients,” commented Lars Hufnagel, Ph.D., CSO of VERAXA. “ADCs will continue to be a main pillar of VERAXA’s pipeline strategy. At the same time, we are applying our expertise and technologies to other antibody-based formats. These activities center around exciting synergies between existing and novel weaponized antibody modalities.”
VERAXA was founded based on proprietary technologies originating from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The company’s platform combines single-cell analysis with microfluidic sorting to isolate contextual optimized therapeutic antibodies. In ADC development, high internalization rates, genetic code-level control for payload position and fine-tuning drug-to-antibody ratios are just some of the aspects VERAXA considers increasing the success probabilities for its pipeline programs. Supporting technology modules and proprietary click-chemistry aim to curb production complexity, time, and costs of clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing.
Originally announced late December 2023, the acquisition of Synimmune GmbH via an all-share deal added the Phase 1 antibody, which has successfully concluded a first-in-man, multicenter clinical study. The study results demonstrate that targeting the FLT-3 surface receptor using the Fc-enhanced therapeutic antibody was safe and well tolerated as a monotherapy and produced early signs of efficacy in a total of 31 patients with AML, who were at a high risk of relapse.
About VERAXA Biotech
At VERAXA Biotech, we strive to establish the premiere drug discovery and development engine for antibody drug conjugates and other novel weaponized antibody concepts. Wielding a suite of transformative technology innovations and applying thorough quality-by-design principles in drug discovery, we are accelerating a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates and novel antibody formats into and through clinical development. VERAXA Biotech originates from scientific discoveries made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a world-leading institute for life science research and ground-breaking enabling technologies. For more information, please visit www.veraxa.com.