Aptamer Group, the developer of next-generation synthetic binders for the life sciences industry, has announced a new contract valued at up to £617,000 with a top-five pharmaceutical company.
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The expanded partnership will focus on developing Optimer binders against three therapeutic targets to support drug validation and potential clinical trial applications.
The multi-target program follows successful completion of earlier development programmes in which Optimer binders demonstrated superior performance characteristics compared to commercial antibody-based reagents. The pharmaceutical partner is now scaling the relationship to incorporate Aptamer's platform technology across multiple drug development programs.
Technical scope and applications
Under the agreement, Aptamer will generate Optimer binders for three undisclosed drug targets and provide technical support for ELISA assay development. The resulting affinity reagents are intended for:
- Validation of key drug targets
- Analysis of patient-derived samples in clinical trials
- Potential development of companion diagnostics
Optimer binders are synthetic oligonucleotide-based affinity reagents generated through Aptamer's proprietary platform. Unlike monoclonal antibodies, Optimers offer advantages including consistent batch-to-batch reproducibility, reduced development timelines, and stability across a broader range of experimental conditions.
Intellectual property and commercial model
Aptamer retains full intellectual property rights to all Optimer sequences developed under this partnership, creating opportunities for future licensing arrangements as these reagents demonstrate utility in commercial applications.
Financial context
The new contract contributes to £1.75 million in signed contract value for Aptamer's current financial year (FY26), representing 46% growth compared to the same period in FY25. The company reports strong pipeline conversion rates during the first four months of the fiscal year.
"The expansion of this pharmaceutical partnership validates both the technical performance of our Optimer platform and our ability to execute on complex, multi-target programs," said Dr. Arron Tolley, chief executive officer of Aptamer Group. "Securing repeat business from major pharmaceutical partners demonstrates that synthetic affinity reagents are gaining acceptance as viable alternatives to antibodies in critical drug development workflows."