- VERAXA Biotech and Secarna Pharmaceuticals have reported an initial in vitro proof of concept for an antibody oligonucleotide conjugate (“AOC”) developed through their research alliance.
- The AOC candidate demonstrated greater potency than the equivalent unconjugated oligonucleotide in early testing, providing a first experimental validation of the collaboration.
- AOCs are an emerging class of antibody-guided therapies designed to use an antibody to deliver therapeutic oligonucleotides selectively to disease-relevant cells.
- VERAXA contributes antibody conjugation expertise and proprietary click chemistry, allowing it to participate in AOCs without shifting its core oncology strategy.
- The collaboration adds to VERAXA’s growing partnering track record, which also includes its bispecific ADC discovery alliance with OmniAb.
VERAXA Biotech (NASDAQ: VRXA), an emerging leader in designing novel cancer therapies, and Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, a company redefining the discovery and development of best-in-class oligonucleotide therapeutics, have reached an early research milestone in their collaboration to develop antibody oligonucleotide conjugates (“AOCs”), providing VERAXA with an initial proof point for applying its conjugation technology outside oncology (https://nnw.fm/zQtuj).
The companies announced on August 24 that an AOC candidate generated by combining their respective technologies demonstrated greater potency in an in vitro study than the equivalent unconjugated, or “naked,” oligonucleotide. The companies are now discussing the next steps for the alliance, which is aimed at potential treatments for autoimmune and chronic immune diseases.
AOCs represent a relatively new category of antibody-guided therapeutics. The basic concept combines the targeting specificity of an antibody with an oligonucleotide payload, such as an antisense oligonucleotide or small interfering RNA. The antibody acts as the targeting component, with the objective of bringing the therapeutic nucleic acid to cells expressing the relevant target.
That approach is being investigated as a way to address some of the limitations associated with systemic delivery of oligonucleotide medicines, including cellular uptake, biodistribution and potential off-target exposure.
The Secarna collaboration therefore places VERAXA at the intersection of two technology areas without requiring the company to build an entirely new therapeutic franchise internally.
Secarna brings its OligoCreator platform and expertise in oligonucleotide discovery. VERAXA contributes its antibody engineering, conjugation and click-chemistry capabilities. The original agreement, announced in September 2025, specifically contemplated using VERAXA’s click-chemistry platform to design and generate AOCs.
VERAXA’s primary development strategy remains oncology. Its principal programs are centered on BiTAC, or Bi-targeted Tumor-Associated Cytotoxicity, a platform designed to create conditionally active antibody therapeutics through dual-target recognition. Its BiTAC technology is being applied to both T-cell engagers and antibody-drug conjugates. The company is advancing its lead BiTAC-TCE program toward IND/CTA-enabling work, while its BiTAC-ADC platform has generated initial in vitro proof-of-concept data.
The company has pursued a similar partnership model in oncology. In May 2025, VERAXA entered a co-discovery alliance with OmniAb to develop a bispecific ADC for solid tumors. OmniAb contributed antibody discovery and screening capabilities, while VERAXA provided ADC linker technology and conjugation expertise. In July, VERAXA announced that the discovery phase had been completed and that the resulting VXA-222 program had advanced into its next phase, with VERAXA taking responsibility for establishing the lead candidate and conducting subsequent validation.
That progression provides useful context for the Secarna relationship. The partnerships are directed at different therapeutic areas, but they employ a similar strategic principle: combine VERAXA’s specialized antibody and conjugation capabilities with complementary technologies from outside partners.
The company has also been building intellectual-property protection around these capabilities. In July, VERAXA reported more than 50 granted owned or exclusively licensed patents across 26 patent families in 14 countries. Its patent portfolio includes technologies covering conjugation and click chemistry in addition to its BiTAC-TCE and BiTAC-ADC platforms.
VERAXA describes its click chemistry as a platform for producing efficient and stable antibody-payload conjugates, with the potential to control conjugation and generate more homogeneous products. That technology was originally developed in the context of antibody-drug conjugates, but the Secarna collaboration demonstrates why such a platform may have utility across multiple antibody-guided modalities.
“Achieving this milestone in our collaboration with Secarna in less than a year demonstrates that our conjugation technology powered by our proprietary click chemistry can be applied efficiently within partnerships beyond our company’s primary focus areas in solid tumors,” said Christoph Erkel, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of VERAXA. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Secarna, a leading innovator in oligonucleotide-based therapeutics and unlocking the breadth of opportunities in this emerging drug class.”
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Veraxa.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to VRXA are available in the company’s newsroom at https://nnw.fm/VRXA
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