27 February 2024
Aptamer
Group plc
("Aptamer", the "Company" or the "Group")
R&D
progress on new Optimer®+ platform
- New Optimer®+ platform
delivers improved results compared to standard binders
- Animal studies show good tolerance
for therapeutic use
Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the developer of
novel Optimer® binders to enable innovation in
the life sciences industry, today announces an update on the
technical progress made with the new Optimer®+
programme.
Optimer®+ is a novel
affinity ligand platform that can be considered amongst the next
generation of binding reagents, beyond our current
Optimer®-based offering. Since
last year's fundraising activities, the Company has focused on
advancing the Optimer®+ programme as one of the key strands
of its new strategy. The Company is now
pleased to report that excellent progress has been made in
developing the new platform.
Current data shows that
Optimer®+ binders can be isolated against a range of
target types, including those with high therapeutic value. This
means that the platform is applicable throughout the life sciences
industry, in several settings, including the development of
disease-modifying biopharmaceuticals; radionucleotide and gene
therapy delivery; and the targeting of infectious
disease.
The latest proof-of-concept results
show that the Optimer®+ platform can produce highly
specific binders with significantly higher affinity than the
current technology platform. Development times for
Optimer®+ are also significantly faster than existing
aptamer-based approaches.
Lab-based results have shown
Optimer®+ binders appear stable in blood serum and are
not harmful to cells. Furthermore, preliminary experiments in mice
have shown Optimer®+ binders to be well tolerated
demonstrating the basic requirements for
therapeutic applications.
Optimer®+ uses a modified
oligonucleotide library that creates hybrid
Optimer®-peptide binders engineered with a scaffold
structure that bridge the gap between traditional aptamers and
protein-based affinity ligands. The Company's new platform combines
the flexibility, manufacturing, and stability benefits of its
current technology with the functional diversity and binding
capability of a protein. This approach
aligns the Optimer®+ platform with high growth antibody
alternatives such as Bicycles and DARPins.
Aptamer expects the new
Optimer®+ platform to expand the capability of its binders in all
applications, especially in precision medicine. The technology is fully protected with a portfolio of granted
patents, ensuring Aptamer Group retains
exclusive rights for all uses of the new system.
Evaluation processes are ongoing
within the Company and with external partners to optimise the
development and large-scale manufacturing protocols, with an active
marketing strategy to follow.
A pre-recorded webcast from Dr David
Bunka, Chief Scientific Officer of Aptamer Group, reviewing the
Optimer®+ platform and the technical progress to date,
will be available on the Aptamer Group website from 10:00am (UCT)
on 13 March, 2024, at: https://aptamergroup.com/investors/reports-and-presentations/.
Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Technical
Officer of Aptamer Group, said: "Since we
received the proceeds of the September fundraise, the team has
worked hard to accelerate the development of Optimer®+
and to show the new platform's capabilities. The development of
this platform is integral to our mission to stay at the forefront
of binder technologies. Both the lab-based research and the initial
animal experiments suggest that Optimer®+ will be well
placed to deliver the next generation of binders to enable the
targeted delivery of precision medicines. This is an area where we
are seeing increasing interest due to the unmet needs across gene
therapy and precision chemotherapy."
- ENDS
-
For further information, please
contact:
Aptamer Group plc
Steve
Hull
|
+44 (0) 1904 217 404
|
SPARK Advisory Partners Limited -
Nominated Adviser
Andrew Emmott / Mark Brady / Adam
Dawes
|
+44 (0) 20 3368 3550
|
Turner
Pope Investments
(TPI) Limited - Broker
James Pope /
Andrew Thacker
|
+44 (0) 20 3657 0050
|
About Aptamer Group plc
Aptamer Group develops custom affinity binders through its proprietary
Optimer® platform to enable
new approaches in therapeutics, diagnostics, and research
applications. The Company strives to deliver transformational
solutions that meet the needs of life science researchers and
developers.
Optimer® binders are
oligonucleotide affinity ligands that can function as an antibody
alternative. The global affinity ligand market is currently worth
over $170 billion.
Aptamer has successfully delivered
projects for a range of global pharma companies, diagnostic
development companies, and research institutes, covering multiple
application areas with the objective of establishing
royalty-bearing licenses.