Aptamer Group today announced it has signed an agreement with AstraZeneca to explore the potential of using aptamer technology to target the kidney. The two-year agreement will give AstraZeneca use of Aptamer Group’s proprietary technology to explore the feasibility of developing the next generation of drug delivery vehicles, called Aptamer Drug Conjugates (ApDCs).

Aptamers are oligonucleotide or peptide molecules that bind to a specific target molecule. They are emerging as promising therapeutic agents. Their ability to fold into distinct secondary or tertiary structures gives them high affinity and specific binding toward cell-specific targets. The binding aptamers can be attached to a variety of therapeutic compounds for targeted drug delivery.

This collaborative project, which brings together the platform technology developed at Aptamer Group and AstraZeneca’s leadership in Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) therapy development and expertise in drug discovery and development, aims to use ApDCs to enable targeted delivery specifically to the kidney.

Arron Tolley, CEO of Aptamer Group said “We are really excited about this collaboration with AstraZeneca. We believe that our platform technology could be transformational in the development of drug delivery vehicles. By working with AstraZeneca, we can explore the potential of these new modalities in the early-stage drug development process”.

Regina Fritsche Danielson, Vice President and Head of CVRM, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, said “Targeted kidney delivery of oligonucleotides has remained a challenging task for several years. Through this collaboration, we hope to make a breakthrough in kidney targeting by combining The Aptamer Group’s capabilities in aptamer research with AstraZeneca’s leadership and expertise in kidney physiology and oligonucleotide conjugation”.

About Aptamer Group
Aptamer Group is a UK-based biotechnology company developing aptamers, nucleic acid molecules with affinity and selectivity for a specified target, as an alternative to antibodies. Aptamer Group is recognised as a key player in the aptamer selection market; offering customers access to an accelerated aptamer selection platform that delivers tailor-made high-affinity, highly specific molecules for use in a variety of scenarios.