Aptamer Group Partners with AstraZeneca to Explore Optimer Vehicles for siRNA Delivery

Aptamer Group, a developer of novel Optimer® binders for the life sciences industry, has entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to evaluate the use of Optimer fibrotic liver delivery vehicles for targeted delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA).

Building on promising results from Aptamer's fibrotic liver delivery vehicles, this collaboration aims to investigate the potential of these non-viral delivery systems in conjunction with a tool siRNA provided by AstraZeneca. Aptamer Group will conduct in-house experiments to assess the effectiveness of the Optimer-based vehicle in targeting fibrotic liver cells, with the goal of generating demonstrator data in animal models for AstraZeneca's evaluation.

Targeted delivery of siRNA to specific cell types remains a significant challenge in the field, yet the market for siRNA was valued at over $13 billion in 2023.

Optimer technology, known for its high selectivity, affinity, and simple conjugation, holds promise for siRNA delivery as non-viral vectors. Successful implementation of Optimer-enabled delivery could lead to the development of novel compounds with significant advantages over current methods.

Dr. Arron Tolley, Chief Technical Officer of Aptamer Group, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration:

"We are excited to work with AstraZeneca to evaluate and optimize our Optimer delivery vehicles. Partnerships like this enable Aptamer Group to make rapid progress in a key focus area for Optimer technology. Targeted delivery to specific cell types is a critical unmet need in many applications within the tissue targeting space, and addressing this has been part of our strategic focus. Our initial dataset in Optimer targeted delivery has generated significant interest, and we are eager to advance to animal model testing. This collaboration with AstraZeneca will help derisk the Optimer delivery platform and bring us closer to delivering targeted and effective gene therapies for patients."

Topics: Tools & Methods