Avacta Group PLC Results of Immunogenicity Study with Human Samples (2745B)
03 April 2017 - 4:00PM
UK Regulatory
TIDMAVCT
RNS Number : 2745B
Avacta Group PLC
03 April 2017
3(rd) April 2017
Avacta Group plc
("Avacta" or "the Group" or "the Company")
Excellent results for Affimer technology in Industry-standard
immunogenicity study using human samples
Major value inflection point for Affimer technology as a
therapeutics platform
Avacta Group plc (AIM: AVCT), the developer of Affimer(R)
biotherapeutics and research reagents, is pleased to report that
the first major immunogenicity study of Affimer technology using
human ex-vivo samples has concluded successfully with a range of
Affimer proteins shown to have low immunogenicity comparable with
the marketed antibody Avastin(R).
Unwanted immunogenicity occurs when a patient has an immune
response to a drug which can lead to reduced effectiveness of the
drug and possibly lead to serious adverse side effects. It is
therefore essential that a new drug platform, such as Affimer
technology, is shown not to cause a significant intrinsic
immunogenic response.
The Company has now completed the first major study of
immunogenicity for the Affimer technology using samples from fifty
healthy volunteers. Multiple versions of the Affimer technology
were tested in the study and benchmarked against the marketed
monoclonal antibody Avastin.
All versions of the Affimer scaffold showed a low response in
these industry-standard tests comparable to Avastin confirming that
the Affimer technology has no significant immunogenicity.
For further information please download the presentation
"Affimer Technology: Results of PBMC Immunogenicity Testing" from
the Company's web site (www.avacta.com).
Dr Alastair Smith, Avacta Group Chief Executive Officer,
commented:
"This excellent data significantly de-risks the Affimer
technology as a therapeutic platform addressing the multi-billion
dollar biotherapeutics market and is a major milestone and value
inflection point for the Company.
Immunogenicity is a key concern for any protein-based
therapeutic in development, especially for a new therapeutic
platform such as that based on our Affimer technology. I am
delighted that the results of this extensive study shows
unequivocally that none of the Affimer scaffolds induce a
significant immunogenic response. This bodes well for their further
development as therapeutics, as there is an accepted correlation
between this type of ex-vivo study and a patient's immunogenic
response when dosed with the drug in the clinic.
In the past year Avacta has hit multiple key milestones for the
Affimer technology including successful outcomes of the first in
vivo pharmacokinetics and efficacy studies and now the successful
outcome of a critical immunogenicity trial. Together this
significant progress supports both our conversations with potential
pharma partners and our objective to take the first Affimer
candidate into clinical development in 2019."
NOTES
For further information from Avacta Group plc, please
contact:
Avacta Group plc Tel: +44 (0)
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive 844 414 0452
Officer www.avacta.com
Tony Gardiner, Chief Financial
Officer
finnCap Ltd Tel: +44 (0)
Geoff Nash / Giles Rolls - Nominated 207 220 0500
Adviser www.finncap.com
Tim Redfern / Alice Lane - Corporate
Broking
Tel: +44 (0)
WG Partners 203 705 9318
Nigel Birks / Nigel Barnes Tel: +44 (0)
David Wilson / Claes Spang 203 705 9217
www.wgpartners.co.uk
Zyme Communications (Trade and Tel: +44 (0)7787
Regional Media) 502 947
Katie Odgaard katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
FTI Consulting (Financial Media Tel: +44 (0)
and IR) 203 727 1000
Simon Conway / Natalie Garland-Collins avacta@fticonsulting.com
About Avacta Group plc (www.avacta.com)
Avacta's principal focus is on its proprietary Affimer(R)
technology which is a novel engineered alternative to antibodies
that has wide application in Life Sciences for diagnostics,
therapeutics and general research and development.
Affimer technology has been designed to address many of the
negative performance issues of antibodies, principally; the time
taken to generate new antibodies, the reliance on an animal's
immune response, poor specificity in many cases, and batch to batch
variability. Affimer technology is based on a small protein that
can be quickly generated to bind with high specificity and affinity
to a wide range of targets.
Avacta has a pre-clinical biotech development programme with an
in-house focus on immuno-oncology and bleeding disorders as well as
partnered development programmes. Avacta is commercialising
non-therapeutic Affimer reagents through licensing to developers of
life sciences research tools and diagnostics.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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