On July 23, 2026 VERAXA Biotech AG (NASDAQ: VRXA; "VERAXA"), an emerging leader in designing novel cancer therapies, reported the appointment of Christoph Erkel, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), effective immediately. Christoph Erkel, previously Vice President of Research & Development at VERAXA, will apply his extensive management expertise in R&D to direct and accelerate development of the company’s proprietary BiTAC (bi-targeted tumor-associated cytotoxicity) platform technologies, with the goal of developing safer and more effective cancer treatments for patients with solid tumors. He succeeds Rick Austin, Ph.D., who will be leaving the company after a successful transition period.
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Christoph Erkel is an accomplished scientific leader with 20 years of expertise in antibody therapeutics, with a career bridging early-stage discovery and clinical readiness. His expertise includes antibody engineering and preclinical development, advancing candidate molecules up to IND submission. Prior to joining VERAXA, he served as Research Program Leader at MorphoSys AG (acquired by Novartis), where he led cross-functional teams and therapeutic programs in immuno-oncology, including the development of conditionally active T cell engagers for solid and hematologic tumors. Earlier, he held senior roles in Discovery Biology and Antibody Engineering, as well as scientific and leadership positions at Sloning BioTechnology GmbH. Christoph Erkel earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Philipps University in Marburg and conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology.
"I am excited to take on this role at such a pivotal moment for VERAXA," said Christoph Erkel, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of VERAXA. "Our mission to translate the groundbreaking potential of the BiTAC platforms into transformative therapies for patients is both inspiring and pressing. I look forward to working with our exceptional team to expand our pipeline, accelerate our programs toward clinical trials, and deliver on the promise of a new generation of oncology treatments."
"We would like to thank Rick Austin for his many contributions during this transformative phase of our company’s journey," said Oliver R. Baumann, Chairman of the VERAXA Board. "His leadership has been instrumental in shaping our pipeline and target decisions. At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome Christoph Erkel as our new CSO. Christoph’s proven ability to manage complex, multi-disciplinary projects and his deep scientific expertise will be instrumental as we advance our innovative BiTAC technology platform and expand our product portfolio."
(Press release, Veraxa Biotech, JUL 23, 2026, View Source [SID1234669392])