Aptamer Group plc, a developer of synthetic antibody alternatives, has announced significant commercial progress with two new development contracts and a licensing agreement that validate its proprietary Optimer platform technology.
The UK-based company has secured two new fee-for-service development contracts with existing customers, with a combined potential value of up to £231,000. These agreements demonstrate growing industry confidence in Aptamer's synthetic binder technology as an alternative to traditional antibodies.
New Development Partnerships Expand Platform Applications
The first development contract, valued at up to £105,000, focuses on creating additional enzyme-modulating Optimers to expand a customer's reagent portfolio. This represents a second engagement with this client, indicating satisfaction with previously delivered results.
The second contract partners Aptamer with a top 20 global pharmaceutical company in a deal worth up to £126,000. This project will develop Optimer reagents targeting a specific small molecule for the pharmaceutical partner's internal research programs. Notably, Aptamer will retain intellectual property rights on the developed binders, creating potential for future licensing revenue.
Dr. Arron Tolley, CEO of Aptamer Group, emphasized the strategic importance of these partnerships: "These repeat research and licensing agreements with both pharmaceutical and enzyme industry partners underscore the growing validation of the Optimer platform across a range of molecular targets. The application of Optimers in enzyme modulation and small molecule recognition aligns with unmet needs in research and diagnostic tool development."
Licensing Agreement Establishes Royalty Framework
In a separate development, Aptamer has agreed to licensing heads of terms with a global provider of specialty enzymes for Optimer binders developed under two prior fee-for-service contracts. The first set of binders, delivered in January 2025, reportedly demonstrated strong performance in the partner's internal evaluations, leading to additional contract work.
The licensing terms include undisclosed milestone payments and a 10% royalty on sales of all products incorporating the Optimers. Aptamer anticipates initial revenues from this non-exclusive arrangement within the next fiscal year. The second licensing agreement also includes a 10% royalty structure, along with additional undisclosed financial terms tied to successful commercialization.
The enzyme provider operates within the global PCR market, which was valued at $9.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at an 8.6% compound annual growth rate, providing Aptamer with access to a substantial and expanding market.
Breakthrough Data on Therapeutic Delivery Platform
Beyond these commercial developments, Aptamer has also announced promising new data on its Optimer therapeutic delivery vehicle for liver fibrosis. Results presented at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting demonstrated the platform's ability to target fibrosis in multiple tissue types, including liver, kidney, skin, lung, and heart.
The delivery system is compatible with mouse and rat animal models, simplifying the transition to preclinical studies. Additionally, the platform has shown the ability to deliver three different siRNA molecules, demonstrating compatibility with various therapeutic cargos.
"These results broaden the scope of Aptamer's internal development programme, indicating our asset could address a broad range of disease areas," said Dr. Tolley. "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."
Market Opportunity and Strategic Positioning
The market for liver fibrosis treatments is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 24% through 2035, driven by new drugs under development and rising disease prevalence. This positions Aptamer's technology to address significant unmet medical needs in fibrotic diseases.
The company's ongoing collaboration with AstraZeneca continues to generate compelling data, and multiple pharmaceutical companies have reportedly initiated discussions to explore partnerships over the coming months.
Technical Advantages of Optimer Platform
Aptamer's proprietary discovery methods for small molecules offer enhanced specificity and a higher success rate compared to traditional antibodies. The company's synthetic binders provide alternatives to conventional antibody approaches, with potential advantages in stability, manufacturing consistency, and target versatility.
The retained IP and downstream royalty arrangements established in these new agreements provide long-term value potential while supporting current research collaborations, aligning with Aptamer's strategic focus on sustainable growth through platform validation and commercialization.
"The latest development contract with downstream royalties agreed adds an additional asset and royalty streams to Aptamer's growing portfolio," noted Dr. Tolley. "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."
