Aptamer Group PLC on Wednesday said it reached an agreement with AstraZeneca PLC.
The York, England-based biotechnology firm said the agreement aims to explore Optimer vehicles for targeted delivery of small interfering RNA, known as siRNA.
Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will provide an siRNA to be trialled with Aptamer’s Optimer-based delivery vehicle for fibrotic liver cells, Aptamer said.
Aptamer highlighted that the siRNA market was valued at over $13 billion in 2023. ‘If successful Optimer-enabled delivery of siRNA could lead to the development of novel compounds that have significant advantages over current cell and tissue-targeting methods,’ the company explains.
Aptamer Chief Technical Officer Arron Tolley said: ‘Partnerships such as this will enable Aptamer Group to make rapid progress in this area, which is a key focus for Optimer technology. Targeted delivery to specific cell types remains a critical unmet need in many applications within the tissue targeting space and, as such, has been part of our strategic focus to support the development of binders with the potential for long-term, high value.’
Aptamer shares jumped 18% to 0.74 pence per share, while AstraZeneca shares fell 0.4% to 12,036.00p each on Wednesday morning in London.
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