Barcelona-based biotechnology companies REVEAL GENOMICS and Ona Therapeutics have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the clinical development of ONA-255, a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to enhance precision cancer treatment across multiple tumor types.
The partnership brings together Ona's expertise in ADC development with REVEAL GENOMICS' advanced diagnostic capabilities to potentially transform treatment approaches for patients with aggressive solid tumors.
Novel Target with Broad Applications
ONA-255 is positioned to be a first-in-class molecule targeting a novel protein present in multiple prevalent solid tumor types. According to the companies, this target functions as a universal driver of resistance to various therapies and represents a hallmark of molecular adaptation in advanced diseases.
Dr. Aleix Prat, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of REVEAL GENOMICS, played a key role in identifying the ONA-255 drug target. Dr. Prat, who currently leads Ona Therapeutics' advisory board, collaborated with Dr. Roger Gomis to generate the critical preclinical data necessary for the drug's clinical advancement.
"I am thrilled about this collaboration, which bridges groundbreaking therapies with precision medicine," said Dr. Prat. "By leveraging our combined expertise, we can gain deeper insights into ONA-255's efficacy, paving the way for more targeted and impactful cancer treatments."
Comprehensive Biomarker Strategy
Under the agreement, REVEAL GENOMICS will lead the molecular analysis of tumor and blood samples from the ONA-255 phase 1-2 clinical trial. The company will apply proprietary technologies and advanced computational algorithms to decode key molecular and genomic biomarkers, providing insights into tumor biology, the immune microenvironment, and response mechanisms to ONA-255.
This comprehensive biomarker approach aims to define patient populations most likely to benefit from treatment, identify predictive biomarkers, and deepen understanding of the drug's mechanism of action—potentially accelerating clinical development and opening new therapeutic avenues.
Patricia Villagrasa, Co-Founder and CEO of REVEAL GENOMICS, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration: "This partnership marks a key milestone in combining advanced diagnostics with innovative treatments, reinforcing the strategic value of integrating biomarker science early in drug development. It also underscores REVEAL GENOMICS's leadership in driving biomarker strategy and our commitment to shaping new business models that bring precision oncology closer to patients."
Expanding the ADC Landscape
Antibody-drug conjugates have emerged as a transformative approach in cancer treatment, combining the targeting precision of monoclonal antibodies with the cell-killing power of cytotoxic payloads. However, current ADC applications remain limited to a relatively small number of tumor targets.
Valerie Vanhooren, Co-Founder and CEO of Ona Therapeutics, highlighted this challenge: "ADCs have transformed cancer treatment; however, the technology has been applied to a limited number of tumor targets. These limitations restrict the number of patients who can benefit from treatments and highlight the critical need to identify new broadly expressed tumor targets."
ONA-255 is designed as a tailor-made ADC that matches the molecule design to the target's biology, delivering potent drug activity against recalcitrant tumors, especially resistant clones, with the goal of achieving deeper and more durable responses.
"Ona's tailor-designed ADCs have the potential to define new treatment paradigms and patient populations, resulting in a clear benefit for patients with cancer," Vanhooren added.
Government Support for Innovation
To advance this partnership, Ona Therapeutics—working with REVEAL GENOMICS' U.S. subsidiary—has secured a grant from CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación), a public entity under the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. The funding comes through the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia, supported by the European Union NextGenerationEU initiative.
This financial support underscores the perceived potential of the collaboration to advance innovative cancer treatments and contribute to Spain's growing biotechnology sector.
Company Backgrounds
REVEAL GENOMICS is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative diagnostic tools that optimize therapeutic decision-making for cancer patients. The company has developed several genomic assays including HER2DX®, TNBCDX®, and DNADX®, which provide prognostic and predictive information to guide personalized cancer treatment strategies.
Ona Therapeutics specializes in developing first-in-class ADCs that target the molecular underpinnings of advanced cancer. The company's approach combines biological insight with expertise in biologics to design ADCs based on extensive target validation, optimized construct design, and advanced technology.
Both companies emerged from prestigious Spanish research institutions. REVEAL GENOMICS is a spin-off of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, the University of Barcelona, and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology. Ona Therapeutics was spun off from IRB and ICREA.
As the collaboration progresses, the integration of Ona's novel ADC technology with REVEAL GENOMICS' biomarker expertise may represent a significant advancement in precision oncology, potentially offering new hope for patients with difficult-to-treat solid tumors.
