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Highlights:

  • AVCT’s Patient enrolment ongoing in AVA6000 Phase 1b trial for multiple cancer types
  • The company’s board adds two directors and appoints new Chief Medical Officer in July 2025
  • AVCT’s IND-enabling studies for AVA6103 continue with Phase 1 trial planned for Q1FY26

Avacta Therapeutics plc (LSE:AVCT), a UK-based clinical-stage life sciences company, provided a business update ahead of its 2025 Annual General Meeting, outlining recent progress across its oncology pipeline and key corporate developments.

The company is advancing its pre|CISION® platform, which is designed to improve the selectivity of chemotherapy agents using tumour-activated peptide technology. The lead candidate, FAP-Dox (AVA6000) a modified version of doxorubicins undergoing Phase 1b clinical trials, with patient enrolment ongoing across expansion cohorts. These include patients with triple negative breast cancer and salivary gland cancer. Early clinical signs have included a partial tumour response in a salivary gland cancer patient, with a nearly 50% reduction in tumour size. Initial data from this cohort is expected in late 2025, while data from the breast cancer cohort is anticipated in the first half of 2026.

In preclinical development, AVA6103, a pre|CISION®-enabled peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) that links a tumour-activated peptide to exatecan, continues to move through investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. Avacta expects to initiate a Phase 1 trial for AVA6103 in the first quarter of 2026.

During April 2025, Avacta presented three scientific posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, including updates on the AVA6000 salivary gland cancer cohort. Among key findings was a median progression-free survival (PFS) that had not yet been reached after a 5.9-month follow-up nearly double that reported in existing benchmark data (Licitra et al., ESMO 2024). Additional poster presentations included preclinical insights into AVA6103 and translational research on the broader pre|CISION® platform. The company anticipates further pipeline updates in the second half of 2025.

Avacta also reported continued engagement with potential commercial partners across the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, particularly regarding opportunities tied to its proprietary pre|CISION® technology and the clinical data emerging from its ongoing studies.

On the corporate front, two new directors have joined Avacta’s board: Richard Hughes, founder of Zeus Capital, and David Bryant, who brings experience in commercial strategy and industry partnerships. In parallel, Darlene Deptula-Hicks stepped down from the board to pursue other commitments.

The company further announced the appointment of Dr. David Liebowitz as Chief Medical Officer effective 1 July 2025. He brings clinical development experience across biotech firms and public companies. Additionally, Yulii Bogatyrenko joined the company as a business development consultant to support partnership strategy. Bogatyrenko has held senior commercial roles in U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies.

Avacta also appointed Zeus Capital as a joint broker, joining Peel Hunt (Nomad and joint broker) and Panmure Liberum (joint broker). These additions aim to broaden investor engagement and assist in evaluating financial strategies to extend the company’s cash position and pipeline development.