Avacta Therapeutics is a UK-listed biotech building peptide-drug conjugates around its pre|CISION platform — a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-activated linker chemistry that releases cytotoxic payloads selectively in the tumor microenvironment. FAP is overexpressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts and present in tumor stroma but largely absent in healthy tissue, providing a tumor-restricted activation mechanism that's mechanistically distinct from the antibody-drug conjugate approach.
The lead asset, AVA6000 (FAP-Dox), is a FAP-activated doxorubicin peptide-drug conjugate in Phase Ia/Ib for FAP-positive solid tumors. Activity against salivary gland cancers, a rare subset with no approved targeted therapies, anchored Avacta's ASCO 2026 presentation. On June 1, Avacta reported updated data for AVA6000, now carrying the nonproprietary name faridoxorubicin: at the 310 mg/m² recommended expansion dose, nearly three times conventional doxorubicin's maximum tolerated dose, the salivary gland cohort held four partial and nine minor responses among 38 evaluable patients, with toxicity below historical doxorubicin rates. AVA6103 is a follow-on FAP-activated exatecan PDC; preclinical AACR 2026 data showed 3x higher tumor selectivity than Enhertu. Beyond oncology, Avacta is developing FAP-activated immune agonists for tumor microenvironment modulation.
The pre|CISION platform sits alongside Bicycle Therapeutics' Bicycle Drug Conjugate platform, Oncopeptides' aminopeptidase-activated PDC architecture, and Crinetics' SST2 receptor-targeted NDC as part of the broader peptide-drug-conjugate category — six PDCs in Phase 3 and ~96 in active development per the late-April ResearchAndMarkets analysis. Stories here cover trial readouts, ASCO presentations, and the broader PDC competitive landscape. See #ava6000, #peptide-drug-conjugate, and #fap-dox.
On June 1 Avacta reported updated Phase 1a/1b data for faridoxorubicin (AVA6000), a pre|CISION-enabled, FAP-activated doxorubicin peptide-drug conjugate that releases its payload inside the tumor microenvironment. At the recommended expansion dose of 310 mg/m², nearly three times conventional doxorubicin's 75 mg/m² maximum tolerated dose, toxicity stayed below historical doxorubicin rates, and the salivary gland cancer cohort held multiple confirmed responses: four partial and nine minor responses among 38 evaluable patients.
The ASCO 2026 Annual Meeting opens tomorrow Friday May 29 at McCormick Place Chicago, running through June 2. The peptide-and-targeted-conjugate oncology slate that landed in the May 21 abstract release and the May 26 embargoed press briefing: Bicycle Therapeutics Duravelo-2 Phase 2 (zelenectide pevedotin 65% ORR / 58% BICR-confirmed in 1L urothelial, oral June 1 8:30 AM); Avacta AVA6000 FAP-Dox Phase 1a/1b in salivary gland (90% disease control); BriaCell Bria-IMT 16.6-month median OS in metastatic breast cancer; Sapience lucicebtide 28.4-month projected median PFS in glioblastoma; Corbus CRB-701 Nectin-4 ADC in HNSCC and cervical (oral May 29); Crinetics CRN09682 SSTR2 non-peptide drug conjugate BRAVESST2; Aktis AKY-2519 B7-H3 miniprotein radioconjugate; Mayo Clinic TPIV200 folate-receptor peptide vaccine in TNBC; plus the GLP-1 cancer slate (Abstract 3143, Roswell Park breast cancer). ASCO 2026 follows immediately after EASL 2026 closes May 30 — the back-to-back meeting structure makes the May 27-June 2 window the highest-density peptide-data week of 2026.
ASCO 2026 in Chicago opens Friday May 29 with the peptide-oncology calendar now fully fixed. Thursday May 29 4:57 PM CDT: Corbus CRB-701 Nectin-4 ADC oral session in cervical cancer. Friday May 30 4:30 PM CDT: Corbus CRB-701 HNSCC poster. Saturday May 30: BriaCell Bria-IMT three posters in metastatic breast cancer. Sunday May 31: Bicycle Therapeutics zelenectide pevedotin Phase 1 Duravelo-1 monotherapy update poster; Avacta AVA6000 FAP-Dox Phase 1a/1b in salivary gland cancers poster session. Monday June 1 8:30-8:36 AM CT: Bicycle Therapeutics Duravelo-2 oral abstract (Abstract 4516). Monday June 1: Sapience Therapeutics lucicebtide poster session for newly-diagnosed GBM. The peptide-oncology cohort is the largest single-meeting concentration of peptide-mechanism oncology data in recent ASCO history.
ASCO 2026 abstract text released at 5 PM ET Thursday, ahead of the May 29-June 2 Chicago meeting. The peptide-oncology data landed simultaneously across the previously-announced slate. Bicycle Therapeutics released Duravelo-2 Phase 2/3 interim data on zelenectide pevedotin (BT8009) plus pembrolizumab in 1L locally advanced/metastatic urothelial cancer. Avacta released AVA6000 Phase 1b data in salivary gland cancers. BriaCell released final Phase 2 Bria-IMT survival data plus biomarker analyses from the ongoing Phase 3. BioVaxys's MVP-S PESCO Phase 1B/2 ovarian cancer abstract landed. Crinetics CRN09682 SSTR2 NDC BRAVESST2 abstract emerged. Pfizer released 40+ company-sponsored, investigator-sponsored, and collaborative oncology abstracts including three late-breaking sessions. The peptide-oncology cohort is the largest single ASCO presence in recent meeting history.
Avacta's AVA6000 — a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-activated peptide-drug conjugate releasing doxorubicin selectively in the tumor microenvironment — released Phase 1a/1b data at ASCO 2026 in salivary gland cancers. Of 30 patients in the Phase 1b cohort treated at 250 mg/m² and above, two experienced confirmed partial responses (>30% tumor shrinkage) and seven experienced minor responses (10-30% shrinkage). The combined Phase 1a + 1b disease control rate reached 90%. Phase 1a data in 11 patients at the same dose range showed 1 confirmed partial response, 4 minor responses, 1 progression, and 5 stable disease — a 91% disease control rate. The favorable safety profile continued versus conventional doxorubicin, with no severe cardiac toxicity events. The data anchors Avacta's planned Phase 2/3 expansion in adenoid cystic carcinoma — the most common salivary gland cancer subtype, with no FDA-approved systemic therapy.
Avacta Therapeutics reported unaudited preliminary results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2025 on Tuesday May 19, 2026, and disclosed that the first patient received treatment in FOCUS-01 — the Phase 1 clinical trial of AVA6103, a FAP-activated exatecan peptide-drug conjugate — in March 2026. AVA6103 is the second pre|CISION-enabled candidate in the Avacta clinical pipeline, after AVA6000 (FAP-Dox, which has Phase Ia/Ib data scheduled at ASCO 2026 in salivary gland cancers). The pre|CISION platform attaches a peptide tetrazolyl moiety cleaved by FAP (fibroblast activation protein) overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts, allowing systemic administration of cytotoxic payloads without the dose-limiting toxicity that constrains free exatecan. FOCUS-01 is enrolling adults with advanced solid tumors. AVA6103 expands the platform from doxorubicin (in AVA6000) to exatecan — a topoisomerase I inhibitor with potency advantages in HER2-low and triple-negative breast cancer.
ASCO 2026 abstracts will release on asco.org/abstracts beginning 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday May 21, ahead of the May 29-June 2 Chicago meeting. The peptide-oncology slate is substantial: Pfizer announced 40+ company-sponsored, investigator-sponsored, and collaborative oncology abstracts including three late-breaking sessions; Bicycle Therapeutics has an oral and four poster presentations on zelenectide pevedotin (BT8009, nectin-4 PDC) with Duravelo-2 interim data; Avacta has Phase Ia/Ib data on AVA6000 (FAP-Dox PDC) in salivary gland cancers; BioVaxys's MVP-S survivin peptide vaccine PESCO trial data; BriaCell's six Bria-IMT/Bria-OTS+ presentations on metastatic breast cancer; and Replimune's RP1 + nivolumab 3-year melanoma OS data. Crinetics CRN09682 SSTR2 NDC BRAVESST2 update expected.
Avacta Therapeutics's AVA6000, a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-activated peptide-drug conjugate releasing doxorubicin selectively in the tumor microenvironment, will be presented at ASCO 2026 (Chicago, May 29-June 2) covering Phase Ia/Ib data in FAP-positive solid tumors with activity against salivary gland cancers — a rare cancer subset with no approved targeted therapies. The pre|CISION platform attaches a peptide tetrazolyl moiety that is cleaved by FAP, an enzyme overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts and selectively present in the tumor stroma, allowing systemic dosing without the cardiotoxicity that limits free doxorubicin. AVA6000 joins Bicycle's nuzefatide pevedotin and Lilly's CRN09682 in the broader peptide-drug conjugate Phase 2/3 cohort.
Avacta Therapeutics presented April 21 data at AACR 2026 showing its FAP-enabled peptide-drug conjugate AVA6103, which delivers exatecan via the pre|CISION® platform, achieved a Tumor Selectivity Index three times higher than marketed ADC Enhertu in preclinical models, with tumor Cmax more than one log higher. AVA6103 entered the Phase 1 FOCUS-01 trial (NCT07454642) in March 2026 with initial clinical readout expected later this year.