- Proceeds will support first-in-human study of HEX-360, a HER2-targeting ADC with a novel translation inhibitor payload
- Hexagon Bio anticipates initiating a clinical study of HEX-360 in the first half of 2027
- Funding will also advance the company’s proprietary ADC platform to discover payload mechanisms of action orthogonal to existing ADC payloads
MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hexagon Bio, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of novel payload mechanisms for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announced the closing of a $62 million Series C financing. The round was led by The Column Group, with participation from existing investors including Nextech Invest, Deviation Capital, 8VC, and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments).
Proceeds will be used to support the Phase 1 trial of HEX-360, anticipated to begin in the first half of 2027, and advance additional novel payload mechanisms and dual payloads from Hexagon’s proprietary ADC platform. Cancer cells often develop resistance to currently marketed ADC payloads, such as topoisomerase inhibitors, creating a need for novel mechanisms of action that can overcome this resistance and be used in subsequent lines of treatment. HEX-360 is a HER2-targeting ADC with a novel translation inhibitor designed to overcome resistance mechanisms associated with approved ADC payloads.
“This financing reflects our conviction that the next generation of ADCs will be focused on novel payloads that can transform the treatment paradigm for many cancers,” said Maureen Hillenmeyer, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hexagon Bio. “This capital allows us to rapidly transition into a clinical-stage company and brings us one step closer to providing much-needed therapeutic options for patients who have progressed on or cannot tolerate current ADCs.”
“To push the boundaries of what ADCs can achieve for patients, the industry needs to look beyond existing payloads,” said Scott Garland, Chairman of Hexagon Bio’s Board of Directors. “Hexagon’s rapid progress in advancing HEX-360 toward the clinic, while simultaneously discovering orthogonal payload mechanisms, demonstrates the unique power of their platform.”
HEX-360 is a HER2-targeting ADC that features a novel translation inhibitor payload discovered by Hexagon Bio. Current ADCs primarily rely on a limited number of chemotherapeutic payloads—such as topoisomerase and tubulin inhibitors—which are frequently associated with poor tolerability and the development of payload resistance. HEX-360’s payload mechanism is orthogonal to existing payloads and is instead designed to suppress oncogenic protein production.
In preclinical data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, HEX-360 demonstrated equivalent or superior efficacy to a comparator analogous to ENHERTU® at matched payload exposure in cell line- and patient-derived xenograft models, deep and durable responses in models resistant to topoisomerase inhibitors, and good tolerability in both rat and non-human primate models. The AACR poster is available on Hexagon’s website.
HEX-360 is currently in IND-enabling studies, with clinical investigation anticipated in the first half of 2027. The company recently formed a Clinical Advisory Board comprising leading breast cancer experts to support the development of HEX-360.
About Hexagon Bio
Hexagon Bio is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of novel payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to address critical unmet needs in oncology. Leveraging a proprietary natural products platform, the company mines cytotoxic small molecules from microbial genomes for use as ADC payloads. Advances in DNA sequencing have enabled the identification of both existing ADC payloads—such as topoisomerase and tubulin inhibitors—and novel payload mechanisms targeting other essential cancer pathways such as protein translation. Hexagon Bio is advancing a pipeline of next-generation ADC candidates with novel payloads designed to treat a wide range of solid tumors and hematological malignancies, with the goal of overcoming resistance to existing ADCs and improving efficacy across tumor types. Learn more at https://www.hexagonbio.com/
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