VERAXA Biotech Names Rick Austin As New Chief Scientific Officer

VERAXA Biotech AG, an emerging leader in developing innovative cancer therapies and a proposed de-SPAC acquisition target of Voyager Acquisition Corp., announced the appointment of Rick Austin, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer, effective May 1st. Dr. Austin brings over 25 years of experience in oncology research and early drug development, and he will play a crucial role in advancing VERAXA’s BiTAC platform and its clinical-stage pipeline.

Before joining VERAXA, Dr. Austin was Vice President of Research at Harpoon Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specializing in T-cell engagers, which was acquired by Merck in 2024. Prior to that, he held several roles at Amgen and Tularik, where he led tumor immunology projects using BiTE® technology focused on treating multiple myeloma and ovarian cancers. Early in his career, Dr. Austin completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Christoph Antz, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of VERAXA, said in a statement, “Dr. Austin's appointment comes at a transformative period for VERAXA and I’m looking forward to working with him as we enter the next phase in VERAXA’s journey. Rick’s extensive expertise in oncology drug development, combined with his deep ties to the U.S. biopharma ecosystem, will be instrumental in progressing our lead programs into the clinic, in tapping into the rich U.S.-based talent pool, and expanding our scientific footprint.”

Rick Austin mentioned, “I look forward to joining VERAXA to help deliver a pipeline of efficacious cancer treatments with enhanced safety profiles. VERAXA’s innovative BiTAC platform represents a powerful approach to expanding the therapeutic window of both antibody drug conjugates and T-cell engagers to minimize off-tumor toxicity while enhancing anti-tumor activity.”

Over the years, he has contributed to numerous Investigational New Drug (IND) filings and first-in-human clinical trials. He holds 12 issued patents and has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed research articles. Dr. Austin earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.