AxioMx

AxioMx, Inc. operated as a biotechnology firm specializing in recombinant antibody technologies. The company was founded in 2012 by Dr. Michael Weiner and Christopher McLeod and was headquartered in Branford, Connecticut. The founders brought extensive entrepreneurial experience from previous leadership roles in genomics, next-generation sequencing, and proteomics organizations. Dr. Weiner, a serial scientific entrepreneur, has a background in genetics and has been instrumental in developing key technologies like QuikChange site-directed mutagenesis and next-generation DNA sequencing. McLeod also co-founded Affomix Corporation, which was later sold to Illumina.

The core of AxioMx's business was a technology platform designed for the rapid development and production of custom monoclonal antibodies. This platform utilized proprietary phage display libraries and screening methods to produce highly specific and high-affinity recombinant antibodies in weeks, a significant reduction from the months required by traditional animal-based methods. The company's services catered to research institutes, as well as diagnostics and therapeutics organizations, providing them with custom antibody discovery and development. This included antigen and peptide synthesis, affinity maturation, and the production of antibodies for applications like western blotting, ELISAs, and flow cytometry. A key offering was the "AxioMx Express" service, which promised the development of custom recombinant antibodies in just five weeks.

In a significant milestone, AxioMx was acquired by Abcam plc, a global supplier of life science research tools, in November 2015. The deal was structured with an upfront payment of $20 million and up to $25 million in additional performance-based payments over five years. Following the acquisition, AxioMx's focus shifted to developing highly validated recombinant antibodies for inclusion in Abcam's product catalog, integrating its rapid production capabilities with Abcam's global distribution network. The acquisition was completed, with the final milestone payments made by June 2022.

Keywords: recombinant antibodies, monoclonal antibody, antibody development, phage display, life science research, custom antibodies, affinity maturation, proteomics, diagnostics, therapeutics, Abcam, Michael Weiner, Christopher McLeod, Affomix, in vitro, antibody engineering, immunoassay, protein research tools, biotechnology, antibody production