Aptamer Group plc (LON:APTA), the leading developer of next-generation synthetic binders delivering innovation to the life science industry, has announced new data on its Optimer therapeutic delivery vehicle for liver fibrosis. The data, developed through Aptamer’s internal programme and in collaboration with AstraZeneca, highlight the delivery platform’s potential for broad therapeutic application.
The latest results presented at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA (13-17 May 2025) show the Optimer targets fibrosis in multiple tissue types and is compatible with mouse and rat animal models, which makes the transition to preclinical animal studies a simpler and faster next step.
Recent in-house studies have shown that the Optimer effectively targets fibrosis in the liver as well as the kidney, skin, lung, and heart. These findings position the asset as a highly adaptable therapeutic delivery system with broad applicability across fibrotic diseases.
This represents a significant step forward in unlocking multi-billion-dollar opportunities in areas of high unmet medical need. The delivery vehicle had previously shown the ability to deliver three different siRNA molecules, demonstrating compatibility with different therapeutic cargos. The ability to combine different therapeutic cargos with targeting to different tissues means this asset could act as a platform for the development of a range of precision therapies.
Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, said: “These results broaden the scope of Aptamer’s internal development programme, indicating our asset could address a broad range of disease areas. While fibrotic liver disease remains a major focus due to its large market size and limited treatment options, the potential to expand into pulmonary, renal, cardiac, and dermal fibrosis greatly increases the commercial scope of this delivery system.
“With the market for liver fibrosis treatments set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 24% through 2035, driven by new drugs under development and rising disease prevalence,1 the Group is well-positioned to capitalise on this momentum. Aptamer’s ongoing collaboration with AstraZeneca continues to generate compelling data, and multiple pharmaceutical companies have initiated discussions to explore partnerships over the next few months.”
1. Delveinsight. Liver Fibrosis Market Insight, Epidemiology And Market Forecast – 2034. (2025)
Aptamer Group plc (LON:APTA), the leading developer of next-generation synthetic binders delivering innovation to the life science industry, has announced two new fee-for-service development contracts with existing customers, with a combined value of up to £231,000, demonstrating continued confidence in the Optimer platform. The Group has also agreed licensing heads of terms with a global provider of speciality enzymes for developed enzyme-modulating Optimers.
The first of the two new development contracts, valued at up to £105,000, focuses on creating additional enzyme-modulating Optimers to broaden the customer’s reagent offering. This is the second project with this customer. The second development contract is with a top 20 global pharmaceutical company. Valued at up to £126,000, this new fee-for-service development project will involve the development of Optimer reagents targeting a small molecule for use in the customer’s internal research programmes. This marks a second project with the pharmaceutical customer, following a previously successful Optimer development and represents further repeat business. Aptamer will retain IP rights on the binders, with potential for future downstream licensing revenue.
The licensing terms with the global enzyme provider cover Optimer binders developed under two separate fee-for-service contracts. The binders for the first contract were successfully delivered in January 2025 and demonstrated excellent performance both at Aptamer and in the customer’s in-house tests, leading to the additional fee-for-service work. The agreed licensing terms for this contract include undisclosed milestone payments and a 10% royalty on sales of all Optimer-containing products. Initial revenues from this non-exclusive arrangement are expected within the financial year ended June 2026, representing one additional licensing opportunity to the ten opportunities outlined in the interim results in March 2025. Licensing terms on the second contract will earn 10% royalties and have additional undisclosed financial terms on the commercialisation of successfully developed Optimers. The provider operates within the global PCR market, which was valued at $9.9 billion in 2024 with a compound annual growth rate of 8.6%1.
Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, said: “These new agreements reflect the commercial momentum we are building behind our platform. We are pleased to report the additional licensing opportunity, which has been identified and agreed upon since the interim results and has demonstrated the dedication of our commercial team. We are committed to negotiating the best terms available for the Group and have now delivered three double-digit licensing agreements this year.
“The latest development contract with downstream royalties agreed adds an additional asset and royalty streams to Aptamer’s growing portfolio. The opportunity with the top 20 pharma partner represents growing interest in our small molecule targeting platform and contributes to both near-term revenues and potentially long-term value creation through royalty streams. Importantly, these are repeat engagements with respected global players, validating our platform’s utility and reinforcing the Group’s strategic focus on long-term sustainable growth.”
1. Fortune Business Insights. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Market. (2025) Report ID: FBI102528
