VERAXA Biotech (NASDAQ: VRXA), Secarna Partnership Milestone Opens New Potential Market for Conjugation Technology IBN.ai

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://ibn.fm/mgy0y).

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…