Biotech companies advance cancer research methods and MS clinical trials

VERAXA Biotech has announced a strategy to implement New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in its preclinical research, aligning with U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines to reduce reliance on animal testing. The company reported that its evaluation of BiTAC-based T cell engagers and antibody-drug conjugates using an ex vivo panel of patient-derived xenograft models required approximately 10 mice, compared to an estimated 200 or more for traditional in vivo studies.

Separately, Quantum BioPharma has entered into a Study Start-Up Agreement with the clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific. This partnership is intended to launch the Phase 2 clinical trial for Lucid-MS, a drug candidate designed to treat multiple sclerosis through a neuroprotective approach that targets demyelination rather than immune system modulation.