VERAXA Biotech AG (NASDAQ: VRXA) announced the appointment of Christoph Erkel, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, effective immediately. Erkel, previously vice president of research and development, will lead advancement of the company’s proprietary BiTAC(R) platform technologies for the development of cancer therapies targeting solid tumors. He succeeds Rick Austin, Ph.D., who will depart following a transition period.
Erkel brings two decades of experience in antibody therapeutics, antibody engineering and preclinical development, including prior leadership roles at MorphoSys AG, where he led immuno-oncology programs focused on T-cell engagers. VERAXA said his experience managing multidisciplinary research programs will support efforts to expand the company’s oncology pipeline and advance BiTAC(R) candidates toward clinical development.
The appointment comes as VERAXA focuses on its BiTAC platform, which is designed to generate bispecific T cell engagers and other antibody-based therapeutics. The company is building a premier engine for the discovery and development of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific T cell engagers, bispecific ADCs and other innovative formats. Powered by a suite of transformative technologies and guided by rigorous quality-by-design principles, VERAXA is rapidly advancing its pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development and beyond.
VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a world-renowned institution known for pioneering life science research and cutting-edge technology. The company’s BiTAC(R) platform is a registered trademark of VERAXA Biotech GmbH.
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