Xerion Pharmaceuticals

Xerion Pharmaceuticals was a Munich-based biotechnology company specializing in functional proteomics and target validation, primarily for oncology applications. The company's core technology, Chromophore-Assisted Laser Inactivation (CALI), enabled the precise, light-induced inactivation of specific proteins to determine their biological function and therapeutic potential. This platform was complemented by the X-Cellerator technology, which facilitated the rapid generation of functional monoclonal antibodies against validated targets. Xerion's business model focused on identifying novel drug targets and developing early-stage antibody candidates for internal development or partnering. In 2003, the company was acquired by Pieris AG, integrating its target discovery capabilities into Pieris's proprietary Anticalin platform.