REG - Aptamer Group PLC - Top Pharma Company evaluates Optimer for medicine

AptamerAnnouncement

22/04/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 4772L  Aptamer Group PLC  22 April 2024

     22 April 2024

 

Aptamer Group plc

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

Top Pharmaceutical Company evaluates Optimer for precision liver medicine

-       Optimer delivery vehicle has been shipped to a pharma partner
for external evaluation

-       The specific delivery vehicle could generate new precision
therapies for liver disease

 

Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the developer of novel Optimer(®) binders to
enable innovation in the life sciences industry, today announces that its
Optimer binder against cells associated with fibrotic liver disease, developed
for targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads to fibrotic liver disease, has
been shipped to a top 15 pharmaceutical company for evaluation in their own
therapeutic applications.

 

The Optimer delivery vehicle was developed to selectively target cells linked
to fibrotic liver disease, as part of a fee-for-service partnership with the
pharmaceutical company that began in 2020. Subsequent work at Aptamer Group
combining the Optimer with a model gene therapy payload has shown that the
Optimer enables selective delivery of the gene therapy specifically to
fibrotic human liver cells in laboratory tests, with no interaction with other
liver cell types. This allows the gene therapy to be effective in target
fibrotic liver disease cells, with no effect in the non-target liver cells. A
significant effect was seen from the Optimer-delivered gene therapy, compared
to the gene therapy alone, with a p-value of less than 0.01, indicating the
probability of these results is more than 99% due to the Optimer delivery of
the gene therapy. As these data demonstrate the successful therapeutic
delivery using the Optimer binder, the pharmaceutical partner requested
samples of the material for their own evaluation, with a view to licensing
this binder for further development of new precision liver medicines. The
required material has been manufactured by Aptamer Group and, following
internal testing by the Company, has been released to the pharmaceutical
partner.

 

Targeted delivery to specific cell populations is showing increasing use
across the pharmaceutical sector, as it holds the potential for increased
efficacy and reduced side effects from medications. Exemplar publicised
partnerships for specifically targeted precision medicine developments include
Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. licensing a single delivery vehicle from Bicycle
Therapeutics Inc. for $45 million upfront, with additional milestone payments
and royalties for each program developed under the collaboration; Partnering
of Takeda Pharmaceutical with Peptidream Inc, with Peptidream Inc receiving up
to $3.5 billion excluding royalty payments for delivery vehicles targeting the
central nervous system. Both these deals demonstrate the urgent requirement
and high values associated with developments and assets of this nature in the
sector for successful targeting delivery vehicles.

 

Estimates suggest that globally, two million lives are lost annually to liver
disease, and 1.5 billion people suffer from chronic liver disease. The most
common liver disease is steatotic liver disease, accounting for ~60% of cases,
which in its worst stages is known as metabolic dysfunction-associated
steatohepatitis (MASH) and can progress to liver cancer. Despite this
prevalence, treatment options are limited, with only one medication currently
approved for MASH and liver fibrosis. Aptamer's delivery vehicle can be simply
combined with gene therapies or other therapeutic payloads to enable the
development of new precision medicine approaches for the treatment of fibrotic
liver disease and liver cancers in this area of high unmet need.

 

Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Technical Officer of Aptamer Group, said: "We are
delighted to be able to supply our Optimer binders to our pharma partner for
evaluation. Their positive feedback on our in-house data suggests that the
Optimer binders could outperform the alternative molecules they are currently
testing.

"For gene therapy, enabling targeted delivery of functional medicines to new
tissues remains a major translational challenge preventing the full
recognition of gene therapies potential. Our in-house studies suggest we have
overcome these issues in developing these Optimer binders and could offer new
hope for precision medicines for liver disease, a patient group that is hugely
underserved with limited treatment options.

"I look forward to supporting our partners in their use of Optimer delivery
vehicles and updating the market as this partnership progresses."

- ENDS -

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 

 Aptamer Group plc                                            +44 (0) 1904 217 404

 Steve Hull
 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

 

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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