Research

From idea, to screen, to in vivo validation, our entire preclinical discovery and development pipeline is managed in house for ultimate speed and flexibility.

  • True to our name, we are here for the long-haul, generating bold new ideas and transforming them into life-saving medicines.

  • Exceptional organisations are built by exceptional teams. Our competitive advantage comes from our commitment to people and purpose.

  • Wet lab experimentation or in silico? It’s not either / or. We believe that both are essential and have deeply integrated computational methods in all our processes.

  • Audax is a deep immunology company. Our team comprise some of the brightest minds, talented experimentalists and thought leaders in the field.

  • Melbourne, Australia; a global immunology research hotspot. We are located among leading academic research centres, hospitals and a growing biotech community.

  • We do radical science. The bigger the idea, the more we back our team to take up the challenge.

  • Digital native, co-located and cross-functional teams mean that every datapoint and every idea can be rigorously examined.

Capabilities

We have built end-to-end preclinical R&D capabilities within our Melbourne laboratories. Our team has a depth of experience across immunology, functional genomics, protein engineering, medicinal chemistry and computational biology, together forming three platforms from which our pipeline has matured.

  • Avikine®

    Combining our academic heritage and high dimensional biology platform, we understand when and where cytokines can be used to treat disease. We have solved the typically poor drug-like characteristics of cytokines by reimagining the principle of avidity-based targeting. By carefully optimising the various functional domains of these biologic molecules, we can restore cytokine signals where required and avoid off-target tissues – all with minimalist engineering. Avikine® molecules are proven to deliver the right signal to the right cell type in the right context – making it the world’s most innovative cytokine agonist platform.

  • Immunoglue™

    Leveraging our immunology insights and discovery technologies, we are developing molecular glue degraders (MGD) beyond their current therapeutic paradigm. Our screening stack includes proprietary libraries, high-throughput phenotypic assays and model-assisted deconvolution to deliver MGD ‘phenoprints’ at scale. With rapid traction against established molecular targets, we are now setting our sights on novel and unconventional pathways in immune cells for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease.

  • High-dimensional biology

    Developing highly effective medicines comes from thought leadership in biology. Since our foundation we have invested in creating a deep immunology research platform that encompasses functional genomics, structural biology and computational models. This is exemplified by our ability to perform in vivo functional genomic screens with naïve immune cells (such as macrophages and T cells) in various disease models, develop an associated structural and molecular understanding of the results and rapidly overlay a translational perspective. We believe that the most durable competitive advantage is built from insight and execution, rather than a single technology.

Pipeline

  • DAX-044

    IL-12 Avikine®

    A next generation potency-optimised IL-12 cytokine-antibody fusion molecule. Engineered to deliver unprecedented therapeutic index for this class of drug.

    PROGRESS: IND enabling

    Learn More

  • DAX-037

    Novel IL-15 cytokine checkpoint

    A novel immunotherapy target that has immune and tumour cell intrinsic effects. Ablation of the DAX-037 target enhances the fitness and function of cytotoxic immune cells by sensitising these populations to endogenous IL-15.

    PROGRESS: Lead Series

  • DAX-048/050

    Novel Avikine® molecules

    A series of novel Avikine® molecules tailored for use in oncology.

    PROGRESS: Hit Generation

  • DAX-049/051

    Novel Avikine® molecules

    A series of novel Avikine® molecules tailored for use in autoimmune disease.

    PROGRESS: Lead Series

  • DAX-052

    Novel Immunoglue™

    A new molecular glue discovered using our high-throughput immunophenotype screening platform. Under development for use in autoimmune disease.

    PROGRESS: Lead Series