• Accelerated platform delivers validated biomarkers with ready-to-use Optimer ligands in months rather than years
• Biomarkers are identified based on their ability to translate to drug development strategiesAptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the leading developer of next-generation synthetic binders delivering innovation to the life science industry, today announced the launch of its biomarker discovery service, offering researchers in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostic development an innovative approach to identify and validate new disease markers.
  
  Technical Innovation Delivers Novel Biomarker Discovery Approach

The service integrates Aptamer's proprietary Optimer technology with advanced proteomic analysis to provide an unbiased, high-throughput approach to biomarker identification. This methodology represents a significant advancement over traditional discovery approaches by simultaneously identifying biomarkers and generating corresponding affinity ligands, as aptamers.

The platform utilises Optimers, which are short, synthetic oligonucleotide molecules with enhanced stability and binding specificity, to differentiate between healthy and diseased cell or tissue samples. Through subsequent proteomic analysis, precise identification of the molecular biomarkers can be achieved, delivering both validated biomarkers and immediately applicable aptamers as affinity ligands, or the potential to pursue the biomarkers with alternative modalities, such as antibodies.

Addressing Research Challenges

Traditional biomarker discovery often requires years of screening and validation, creating bottlenecks in therapeutic development and diagnostic innovation. Aptamer’s integrated approach helps to accelerate these timelines for researchers. An additional benefit of the service to drug developers is that biomarkers can be identified that support specific strategies, such as receptor-mediated endocytosis for drug delivery approaches, to improve the translation of identified biomarkers and further cut development timelines. 

Proven Methods in Drug Delivery

The company successfully demonstrated this approach through its internal identification of biomarkers for fibrotic liver targeting, validating the platform's capability to deliver actionable research outputs. This work showcased the technology's potential to identify novel targets with immediate therapeutic or diagnostic relevance.

Research Applications

The service supports multiple research objectives across drug discovery and diagnostics:

• Target identification for novel therapeutic interventions
• Biomarker validation for precision medicine applications
• Diagnostic marker discovery for early disease detection
• Companion diagnostic development for therapeutic monitoring
• Resistance marker identification for treatment optimization

Available through a fee-for-service framework, the platform enables research teams to access advanced biomarker discovery capabilities without requiring internal infrastructure investment or extended development timelines. More information about the service can be found here: https://aptamergroup.com/biomarker-discovery-service 

Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, commented: “Our biomarker discovery service addresses a fundamental challenge in life sciences research, which is the need for faster, more efficient identification of clinically relevant molecular targets. By combining our Optimer libraries with proteomic capabilities, we can deliver validated biomarkers alongside functional binding tools, significantly accelerating the translation from discovery to application. The strong interest we've received from pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners demonstrates the value of this integrated approach.”

About Aptamer Group

Aptamer Group is a leading developer of next-generation synthetic binders delivering innovation to the life sciences industry. The Group develops Optimer® binders, advanced molecules that work like antibodies by attaching to specific targets in the body. These binders are used in medicine, diagnostic tests, and research tools, offering benefits like high stability, reliable performance, and lower costs compared to traditional antibodies.

Aptamer operates a fee-for-service business in the US$210 billion market for antibody alternatives, working with all top 10 global pharmaceutical companies. It is also building valuable Optimer® assets with partners, aiming for future licensing revenue.

Founded in 2008, the Group listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market in December 2021 and is headquartered in York, UK.