VALANX Biotech (VALANX), a biotechnology company developing site-selectable and site-specific protein binding technologies, today announced that it has secured €3 million to advance its lead antibody drug conjugate (ADC) program. The round includes new investors Fournier-Majoie Foundation and Fujifilm Corporation, joining existing VC investors xista Science Ventures, tecnet equity, SOSV, and angel investors Urs Spitz and SkyGene.
The funding will enable preclinical development of VLX-ADC-001, an ADC targeting LIV-1 for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), with candidate selection scheduled for June 2026, as well as support GMP compliance and partnership activities for the company’s GoldenSite™ binding platform.
As part of the fundraising, Ana Maricevic will join Valanx’s board of directors and officially represent the Fournier-Majoie Foundation.
ADCs are innovative therapeutics that combine the targeting precision of antibodies with highly potent payloads. VALANX’s GoldenSite platform is designed to enable rapid, reproducible, site-selectable conjugation. This enables the development of ADCs and other conjugates with significantly improved therapeutic areas and addresses key challenges in ADC development.
LIV-1 is an attractive target in mTNBC, and GoldenSite provides a practical way to precisely tune binding locations to optimize the therapeutic window of drug candidates. This completion will enable GoldenSite to move toward GMP compliance and advance VLX-ADC-001 to a robust preclinical data package by June 2026 while partnering with ADC innovators. ”
Michael Lukesch, Founder and CEO, VLANX Biotech
Ana Malicevic of the Fournier-Majoie Foundation said: “As the foundation for innovation in oncology, we support teams with superior scientifically differentiated programs and clear development paths. VALANX’s approach to site-selectable binding addresses the core challenges of the ADC space: controlling toxicity and unlocking greater efficacy. We are committed to working with Fujifilm and our existing investor group to support the advancement of VLX-ADC-001.”
Toshihisa Iida, Director, Managing Executive Officer, and General Manager of Life Science Strategy Headquarters, Fujifilm Corporation commented as follows. “Fujifilm is committed to life sciences and is investing to stay close to cutting-edge platform technologies that will form the next generation of biologics. Through strategic investments in advanced technologies, including addressing critical challenges in ADC development, we aim to contribute to a robust ecosystem that supports the creation and delivery of advanced therapeutics.”
