Apexigen
Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody therapeutics for oncology, with lead candidate sotigalimab (a CD40 agonist) and the APXiMAB antibody-discovery platform. The company was acquired by Pyxis Oncology in August 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSan Carlos, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Apexigen does
Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2009 by Xiaodong Yang, M.D., Ph.D., and headquartered in San Carlos, California. The company focused on discovering and developing innovative antibody therapeutics for oncology, with a particular emphasis on patients who had progressed on PD-(L)1 checkpoint inhibitors. Its lead clinical asset was sotigalimab, a CD40 agonist antibody positioned as a potentially first- and best-in-class immuno-oncology candidate demonstrating anti-cancer activity in this hard-to-treat population.
The company's core technology was the APXiMAB antibody-discovery platform, described as clinically and commercially validated and capable of generating novel humanized antibodies optimized for targeted payload delivery in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development. The platform integrated four components: novel humanized antibody generation capabilities, an expanded library of linkers with improved stability, site-specific conjugation chemistries, and optimized payloads. As a pre-revenue clinical-stage company, Apexigen generated no commercial product revenue and funded operations through venture capital financings, a SPAC-related PIPE transaction, and bridge private placements.
Apexigen was acquired by Pyxis Oncology in August 2023 in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $10.7 million, with Apexigen shareholders receiving a 10% stake in the combined entity. The transaction integrated APXiMAB with Pyxis Oncology's FACT platform (licensed from Pfizer) to create an end-to-end ADC development capability. Prior to the acquisition, the company had pursued a public listing via a business combination with Brookline Capital Acquisition Corp. announced in March 2022, which raised approximately $73 million in gross proceeds, followed by a $2.8 million bridge private placement in January 2023. Following the acquisition, sotigalimab was renamed PYX-107 within Pyxis Oncology's pipeline.
Apexigen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apexigen
- Legal name
- Apexigen, Inc.
- Website
- https://apexigen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody therapeutics for oncology, with lead candidate sotigalimab (a CD40 agonist) and the APXiMAB antibody-discovery platform. The company was acquired by Pyxis Oncology in August 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apexigen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oncology Biopharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery) (HLAIALAA), Neuro-Oncology (HLAKAFAH)
Keywords
Where Apexigen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Carlos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Apexigen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Drug Development and Commercialization: Pre-revenue clinical-stage company focused on developing antibody therapeutics for oncology. Revenue would be generated upon successful FDA approval and commercialization of drug candidates including sotigalimab (CD40 agonist).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Apexigen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that discovered and developed antibody therapeutics for oncology. Its core offering was the proprietary APXiMAB antibody-discovery platform for generating novel humanized antibodies, and its lead clinical asset sotigalimab, a CD40 agonist antibody designed to treat patients who progressed on PD-(L)1 inhibitors. The company operated through clinical trials targeting regulatory approval pathways for oncology drug candidates.
Product overview
Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative antibody therapeutics for oncology. The company operated with its core APXiMAB platform for antibody discovery and developed sotigalimab (now PYX-107), a CD40 agonist antibody candidate. Following its acquisition by Pyxis Oncology in August 2023, the company's platform capabilities were integrated to enhance Pyxis Oncology's ADC development pipeline.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- APXiMAB: A validated antibody-discovery platform used for generating novel humanized antibodies for targeted payload delivery in oncology therapeutics.
Products and services
- APXiMAB Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Demonstrated anti-cancer activity in patients who previously progressed on PD-(L)1 inhibitors
Companies that use Apexigen
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Apexigen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Apexigen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Sidley Austin LLPminorLegal advisor to Pyxis Oncology during the acquisition transaction.
- Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.minorFinancial advisor to Apexigen during the acquisition transaction.
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.minorLegal advisor to Apexigen during the acquisition transaction.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Apexigen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Schrödinger: Computational drug discovery company with proprietary platforms for antibody design and optimization. Comparable technology-driven approach to antibody discovery, though broader therapeutic focus beyond oncology.
- ProfoundBio: Clinical-stage oncology company developing next-generation ADCs with proprietary linker and payload technologies. Comparable emerging ADC platform company with overlapping approach to differentiated antibody-payload conjugate design.
Direct peers
- Compugen: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company leveraging computational platforms to identify novel drug targets and develop therapeutic antibodies. Similar clinical stage, oncology focus, and platform-driven antibody discovery approach.
- Pyxis Oncology: Apexigen's acquirer (NASDAQ: PYXS); clinical-stage company developing next-generation ADC and immuno-oncology therapeutics. Direct peer given identical oncology focus, ADC platform strategy, and now integrated CD40 agonist (PYX-107) asset formerly known as sotigalimab.
- Werewolf Therapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology company developing conditionally activated immunotherapies and antibody therapeutics. Similar clinical stage, focus on improving therapeutic index of immuno-oncology agents, and target patient population of difficult-to-treat cancers.
- Mersana Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with proprietary platforms including novel linkers and payloads. Highly comparable ADC platform strategy to Apexigen's APXiMAB-enabled ADC development efforts.
- Bolt Biotherapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology company developing immune-stimulating antibody conjugates (ISACs) that combine tumor-targeting antibodies with immune agonists—directly analogous mechanism to Apexigen's CD40 agonist approach. Comparable stage, size, and oncology focus.
- Surface Oncology: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing therapeutics targeting the tumor microenvironment. Similar size, clinical stage, and focus on next-generation immunotherapy approaches for cancer patients resistant to checkpoint inhibitors.
Broad incumbents
- Roche: Large pharmaceutical company developing selicrelumab (CD40 agonist) and multiple immuno-oncology assets. Direct competitor in the CD40 agonist space with vastly greater resources, commercial reach, and competing pipeline programs.
- ImmunoGen: Established ADC-focused oncology company with multiple approved and clinical-stage products. Broader incumbent in ADC space with validated platform that overlaps with Apexigen/Pyxis's combined antibody-discovery and conjugation capabilities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Apexigen social profiles
Digital presenceApexigen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apexigen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Apexigen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apexigen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apexigen
What does Apexigen do?
Apexigen was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that discovered and developed antibody therapeutics for oncology. Its core offering was the proprietary APXiMAB antibody-discovery platform for generating novel humanized antibodies, and its lead clinical asset sotigalimab, a CD40 agonist antibody designed to treat patients who progressed on PD-(L)1 inhibitors. The company operated through clinical trials targeting regulatory approval pathways for oncology drug candidates.
Is Apexigen a public or private company?
Apexigen is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Apexigen founded?
Apexigen was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Apexigen based?
Apexigen is headquartered in San Carlos, United States, in the North America region.
How does Apexigen make money?
One revenue line is on record: drug Development and Commercialization.
Who are Apexigen's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Schrödinger and ProfoundBio. Direct peers are Compugen, Pyxis Oncology, Werewolf Therapeutics, Mersana Therapeutics, Bolt Biotherapeutics and Surface Oncology. Broad incumbents are Roche and ImmunoGen.
Does Apexigen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Apexigen.
What industry is Apexigen in?
Apexigen's product category is Oncology Biopharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAB, Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering), with a secondary code of HLAIALAA, Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.