REG - Aptamer Group PLC - New Scientific Advisory Board Members

AptamerAnnouncement

06/12/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 0539P  Aptamer Group PLC  06 December 2024

6 December 2024

 

Aptamer Group plc

 

("Aptamer", the "Company" or the "Group")

 

New Scientific Advisory Board Members

 

Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the developer of novel Optimer(®) binders
to enable innovation in the life sciences industry, is pleased to announce
three new members to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

 

Dr Paloma Giangrande, Dr Louis Allot, and Dr Adam Hargreaves join Aptamer's
SAB with established members Professor Paul Townsend and Dr Shozo Fujita. The
team will provide scientific expertise, an extensive contact network, and
valuable market insights.

 

The newly formed SAB will primarily be focused on addressing the
commercialisation of the Group's internal development programmes for targeted
delivery vehicles with diverse payloads, such as siRNA therapies and
radiopharmaceuticals. The collaborative possibilities for advancing Optimer
binders across multiple application areas are strengthened by the addition of
industry experts to Aptamer's SAB, who will review and advise on product
strategies, scientific approaches, and evidence generation for data to enable
clinical advancement.

 

The SAB is chaired by Dr David Bunka, Aptamer's Chief Scientific Officer and
deputy chaired by Dr Arron Tolley, Aptamer's Chief Executive Officer. The SAB
now comprises the following highly qualified industry experts:

 * Dr Adam Hargreaves, Managing Director of Pathcelerate and Aptamer Chair

 * Dr Paloma Giangrande, former CTO at Eleven Therapeutics and Editor-in-Chief at
Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids

 * Dr Louis Allot, Radiochemistry Consultant at Radiopharmium

 * Professor Paul Townsend, Deputy Principal of Research and Innovation at the
University of Stirling

 * Dr Shozo Fujita, Former Chief Technology Officer at Apta-Bio

 

Dr Paloma Giangrande is an internationally recognised expert in the
development and translation of nucleic acid therapeutics and aptamer-based
delivery. She pioneered the use of RNA aptamers for targeted siRNA delivery
beyond the liver, significantly expanding the therapeutic potential of RNA
interference. Paloma has held key leadership roles in renowned biotechnology
companies, including Moderna, Wave Life Sciences, and Eleven Therapeutics. Her
strategic leadership at prestigious institutions underscores her commitment to
advancing innovative RNA-based treatments.

 

Dr Louis Allot is an expert in the clinical development of
radiopharmaceuticals. He has extensive experience in developing novel
radiopharmaceutical technologies from small molecules, to proteins, aptamers
and antibodies. He has previously held positions at Imperial College London,
the University of Hull, and the Molecular Imaging Research Centre (MIRC), a
state-of-the-art GMP radiopharmaceutical production facility. Louis holds an
honorary position as Lecturer in Radiochemistry at King's College London and,
through Radiopharmium continues to be actively involved in translational
research concerning the targeted delivery of radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Dr Adam Hargreaves is the founder of PathCelerate Limited. Spanning a 20-year
career, he has previously worked for AstraZeneca and has expertise in
preclinical and translational small molecule, biologic, and RNA-based
pharmaceuticals. Adam is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and is
a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathology.
Adam joined Aptamer Group as a Non-Executive Director in 2023 and moved to
Non-Executive Chair in 2024.

 

Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, commented: "As
Aptamer furthers our strategic programmes across targeted therapies,
diagnostics and fast-moving consumer goods, the landscape for each of these
specialised fields is rapidly evolving. The new appointments to our Scientific
Advisory Board bring additional focus to our strategy and will give valuable
insights to support the advancement of our high-value assets and programmes
towards the clinic. These appointments underscore our dedication to capitalise
on current assets and the strength of our platform to maximise shareholder
value. The enlarged SAB aims to deepen our understanding of clinical processes
and clinical applications of our technology whilst ensuring we keep abreast of
any new important developments that could offer significant value for Aptamer
in the future."

 

Dr Adam Hargreaves, Non-Executive Chair of Aptamer Group, commented: "I am
delighted to welcome Dr Paloma Giangrande and Dr Louis Allot to the Group's
SAB, and excited to join them in accelerating the discovery and development of
our aptamers to commercial inflection points. We are very fortunate, along
with Professor Paul Townsend and Dr Shozo Fujita, to now have a world-leading
scientific directive to fortify the great progress the Group has already made
in building and refreshing the customer base. Together with Dr Arron Tolley
and Dr David Bunka, we aim to expand further on our pipeline opportunities,
deliver quality products to our customers, and build on the growing potential
of the Group for our shareholders."

 

Dr Paloma Giangrande, Scientific Advisory Board member, commented: "I am
thrilled to join the Scientific Advisory Board of Aptamer Group. I am eager to
contribute to the advancement of their innovative platforms and collaborate
with such a forward-thinking team to drive groundbreaking progress in the
field of nucleic acid therapeutics and delivery."

 

Dr Louis Allot, Scientific Advisory Board member, commented: "Aptamer Group
has a great targeting technology which is prime for developing next-generation
diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. I am excited to join the
Scientific Advisory Board to help them explore this further."

- Ends -

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 Aptamer Group plc                                               +44 (0) 1904 217 404 

 Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer
 SPARK Advisory Partners Limited - Nominated Adviser             +44 (0) 20 3368 3550 

 Andrew Emmott / Adam Dawes 
 Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited - Broker                  +44 (0) 20 3657 0050 

 James Pope / Andrew Thacker 
 Northstar Communications Limited - Investor Relations           +44 (0) 113 730 3896

 Sarah Hollins

 

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.

 

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(https://aptamergroup.com/investors/investor-news-email-alerts/) .

 

 

 

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