Development agreement applies Optimer® binders to cancer imaging and therapeutics 

Platform demonstrates versatility across multiple therapeutic modalities

Aptamer Group plc, the developer of next-generation synthetic binders for the life sciences industry, has announced a significant development contract with a top 3 global pharmaceutical company to engineer Optimer® binders as targeted radiopharmaceuticals for potential therapeutic applications.

Radiopharmaceutical Development Programme

The new £360,000 fee-for-service development contract is to develop Optimer® binders as targeted radiopharmaceuticals with potential applications in therapeutics. Aptamer retains rights for future licensing revenues upon commercialisation, positioning the Company for future downstream licensing and/or royalty revenue streams. 

This programme will engineer Optimers targeting an undisclosed cancer target. Preliminary work will develop tools for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with a view to translating to therapeutic applications. The Optimer® platform offers advantages for this application area, including enhanced tumour penetration, reduced immunogenicity, and ease of chemical optimisation. The contract expands the application of the Company’s Optimer® technology into the growing targeted radiopharmaceuticals market, valued at $7.5 billion in 2025, and represents the second therapeutic modality under development by Aptamer alongside targeted gene therapy. 

Additional Partnership Activity

Beyond the radiopharmaceutical contract, Aptamer has announced several additional development programmes that demonstrate the breadth of Optimer® applications:

• Project extensions with a top 5 global pharmaceutical company advancing ELISA development for diagnostic applications
• A therapeutic development agreement with Invizius Limited to develop Optimer® binders targeting complement system components for inflammatory disease treatments
• Ongoing synthesis and development work supporting multiple pharmaceutical licensing negotiations
• Various contracts spanning therapeutic, diagnostic, and research tool applications across the life sciences sector

Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, said: "This significant contract win with a top 3 global pharmaceutical company marks a key expansion of our platform into targeted radiopharmaceuticals and potential therapeutics.  This represents a value inflection point as Aptamer now has two potential therapeutic assets under development. We continue to see strong interest from pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners across our core capability areas.”