TIDMAVCT
RNS Number : 3988D
Avacta Group PLC
29 June 2021
29 June 2021
Avacta Group plc
("Avacta" or "the Group" or "the Company")
AffiDX(R) SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Lateral Flow Test Detects Delta
Variant
Avacta Group plc (AIM: AVCT), the developer of diagnostics and
innovative cancer therapies based on its proprietary Affimer(R) and
pre|CISION(TM) platforms, is pleased to announce that a study has
shown that the AffiDX(R) antigen lateral flow test detects the
Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical samples and, in
this small study, outperformed two lateral flow antigen tests that
are commercially available in Europe.
Lateral flow antigen tests are intended to provide a cost
effective and rapid means of identifying individuals with a high
viral load that means they are more likely to infect others. The
clinical data for Avacta's AffiDX (R) SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral
flow test demonstrated 100% sensitivity for identifying infectious
individuals with viral loads measured by PCR of Ct<27, which is
considered infectious.(1)
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, like most viruses, mutates over time to
create different variants and those that have a biological
advantage will become a dominant strain. The Delta variant, first
identified in India, has recently emerged, has greater infectivity,
and may rapidly become a dominant strain world-wide.
The AffiDX(R) SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test has been
evaluated with a small number of patient samples confirmed to be
Delta variant positive and, for a Ct<29, the test was shown to
correctly identify all the positive cases. In this study, two other
commercially available lateral flow tests were evaluated: One test
detected half the positive cases and the other detected none.
The AffiDX(R) SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test is CE marked
for professional use in the UK and EU. The Company has recently
appointed the first distributor for the test, Calibre Scientific,
and is progressing multiple commercial opportunities with other
distributors and professional end users in Europe and the UK.
Dr Alastair Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Avacta Group,
commented:
"We are delighted to report that the AffiDX(R) SARS-CoV-2
antigen lateral flow test detects the Delta variant with very high
sensitivity for patients with a Ct value of less than 29. This is a
variant of the virus that is spreading rapidly on a global scale
and therefore the ability of the test to detect this variant is
paramount to our commercial roll-out.
"In comparison with other lateral flow tests on the market,
Avacta's rapid antigen test demonstrates better clinical
performance. This is a further huge validation of the Affimer(R)
reagent platform for use in in-vitro diagnostics.
"This excellent performance and ease of nasal sampling, coupled
with the fact that the AffiDX(R) test has been developed in the UK,
is based on UK technology and is manufactured in the UK are huge
selling points for customers in Europe."
Disclaimer: The AffiDX(R) SARS-Cov-2 rapid antigen test is not
currently available for sale in the United States.
([1]) Liverpool COVID-19 community testing pilot: interim evaluation report
- Ends-
For further information from Avacta Group plc, please
contact:
Avacta Group plc
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0) 844 414 0452
Officer www.avacta.com
Tony Gardiner, Chief Financial Officer
Michael Vinegrad, Group Communications
Director
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nomad Tel: +44 (0) 207 710 7600
and Broker) www.stifel.com
Nicholas Moore / Nick Adams / Fred
Walsh / Ben Maddison
FTI Consulting (Financial Media Tel: +44(0) 203 727 1000
and IR) Avacta.LS@fticonsulting.com
Simon Conway / Stephanie Cuthbert
Zyme Communications (Trade and Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947
Regional Media) katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
Katie Odgaard
About Avacta Group plc - https://www.avacta.com
Avacta Group is developing novel cancer immunotherapies and
powerful diagnostics based on its two proprietary platforms -
Affimer(R) biologics and pre|CISION(TM) tumour targeted
chemotherapies.
The Affimer platform is an alternative to antibodies derived
from a small human protein. Despite their shortcomings, antibodies
currently dominate markets, such as diagnostics and therapeutics,
worth in excess of $100bn. Affimer technology has been designed to
address many of these negative performance issues, principally: the
time taken to generate new antibodies and the reliance on an
animal's immune response; poor specificity in many cases; their
large size, complexity and high cost of manufacture.
Avacta's pre|CISION targeted chemotherapy platform releases
active chemotherapy in the tumour, which limits the systemic
exposure that causes damage to healthy tissues, and thereby
improves the overall safety and therapeutic potential of these
powerful anti-cancer treatments.
The Group comprises two divisions: The therapeutics development
activities are based in Cambridge, UK and the Group is generating
near-term revenues from Affimer reagents for diagnostics,
bioprocessing and research, through a separate diagnostics business
unit based in Wetherby, UK.
Avacta's Diagnostics Division works with partners world-wide to
develop bespoke Affimer reagents for third party products. The
Group is also developing an in-house pipeline of Affimer-based
diagnostic assays including the AffiDX(R) SARS-CoV-2 Lateral Flow
Rapid Antigen Test and AffiDX(R) BAMS(TM) SARS-CoV-2 Assay in
partnership with Adeptrix Inc.
Avacta's Therapeutics Division is addressing a critical gap in
current cancer treatment - the lack of a durable response to
current immunotherapies experienced by most patients. By combining
its two proprietary platforms the Group is building a wholly owned
pipeline of novel cancer therapies deigned to be effective for all
cancer patients. In 2021 Avacta will commence a phase 1
first-in-human, open label, dose-escalation and expansion study of
AVA6000 Pro-doxorubicin, the Group's lead pre|CISION(TM) prodrug,
in patients with locally advanced or metastatic selected solid
tumours.
Avacta has established drug development partnerships with pharma
and biotech, including a research collaboration with ModernaTX,Inc.
(formerly Moderna Therapeutics Inc.), a multi-target deal with LG
Chem worth up to $400m, a joint venture in South Korea with
Daewoong Pharmaceutical focused on cell and gene therapies
incorporating Affimer immune-modulators, a partnership with ADC
Therapeutics to develop Affimer-drug conjugates and a collaboration
with Point Biopharma to develop radiopharmaceuticals based on the
pre|CISION(TM) platform. Avacta continues to actively seek to
license its proprietary platforms in a range of therapeutic
areas.
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