Pyxis Oncology successfully completes acquisition of Apexigen

Pyxis Oncology (PYXS) announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Apexigen (APGN) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $10.7 million. The combined company is positioned at the forefront of ADC innovation with a platform that now includes four key components: novel humanized antibody generation capabilities, an expanded library of linkers with improved stability, site specific conjugation chemistries, and optimized payloads. The combined company’s executive leadership team will continue to be led by Lara S. Sullivan, M.D., as President and Chief Executive Officer, Pamela Connealy as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Jan Pinkas, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer. Xiaodong Yang, M.D., Ph.D., founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Apexigen, is joining the combined company as Distinguished Research Fellow. With the closing of this transaction, Jakob Dupont, M.D., Executive Partner at Sofinnova Investments, was appointed as an Independent Director to the Pyxis Oncology Board of Directors. Dr. Dupont previously served as a member of the Apexigen Board of Directors beginning in August 2020. Under the terms of the transaction, each outstanding share of Apexigen common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.1725 of a share of Pyxis Oncology common stock and any outstanding options to purchase shares of Apexigen common stock, Apexigen restricted stock units and warrants to purchase shares of Apexigen common stock were converted into options, restricted stock units or warrants, respectively, of Pyxis Oncology, based on the Exchange Ratio.