# Avacta Group rapid antigen test and affimer reagents that block the COVID-19 virus (Interview)

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/avacta-group-rapid-antigen-test-and-affimer-reagents-that-block-the-covid-19-virus-interview/412836284
- Published: 2020-06-25T07:55:08+01:00
- Author: Giles Arbor

**[Avacta](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/avacta-group-plc/avct.l)
Group plc** ([LON:AVCT](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/ftse-company/avacta-group-plc/avct.l))
CEO Alastair Smith joins DirectorsTalk to discuss its latest positive update on 
its rapid antigen test and affimer blocking reagent. Alastair provides more details
around the antigen test development with Cytiva, the next steps in the development
plan and explains how some of the Affimer reagents that they have developed which
block the interaction between the virus spike protein and a human cell receptor 
have now been shown to prevent infection of human cells in a model coronavirus system.

Avacta Group is developing novel cancer immunotherapies combining its two proprietary
platforms – Affimer® biotherapeutics and pre|CISION™ tumour targeted chemotherapy.
With this approach, the Company aims to address the lack of a durable response to
current immunotherapies experienced by most patients. The Company’s therapeutics
development activities are based in Cambridge, UK.

The Affimer platform is an alternative to antibodies derived from a small human 
protein. Despite their shortcomings, antibodies currently dominate markets worth
in excess of $100bn. Affimer technology has been designed to address many of these
negative performance issues, principally: the time taken, and the reliance on an
animal’s immune response, to generate new antibodies; poor specificity in many cases;
large size and cost.

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