TIDMAVCT
RNS Number : 8890B
Avacta Group PLC
22 June 2016
Avacta Rapidly Generates Affimer Binders for Zika Virus
Diagnostics
-- Rapid generation and validation of three distinct and highly
specific Affimer binders to Zika virus within just thirteen weeks
of receiving the virus target.
-- The Affimer reagents bind a protein called NS1 which is
diagnostic of the early, acute stage of Zika infection and for
which no validated antibody is available.
-- Highlights the potential of Affimer technology to support
global rapid response for novel point-of-care diagnostics and
health screening.
Wetherby, UK, 22(nd) June 2016: Avacta Group plc (AIM: AVCT)
("Avacta" or "the Group"), the developer of Affimer(R)
biotherapeutics and research reagents, today announced it has
identified three Affimer proteins capable of binding to a
recombinant form of a secreted Zika virus NS1 protein
(Non-Structural protein 1), which is diagnostic of Zika virus
infection at the early, acute stage. These Affimer binders were
identified and characterised within just thirteen weeks of
receiving the virus target and have the potential to be developed
into new rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests for Zika
infection.
The three Affimer binders are highly specific to the Zika NS1
protein and can differentiate in human serum from five other
closely related viruses that give similar symptoms: Dengue, Yellow
Fever, West Nile, and Japanese and Tick-borne Encephalitis. Since
these viruses are very similar, there is currently no validated
antibody that detects Zika virus specifically, which is a limiting
factor in the development of a reliable, quick diagnostic test.
The ability to rapidly generate new diagnostic reagents in
response to outbreaks of infectious agents is critical to meeting
an urgent medical need, as recently evidenced by the SARS and Ebola
virus outbreaks. The very high specificity of Avacta's Affimer
technology, together with the speed with which new Affimer binders
can be identified and characterised, makes the technology ideal for
rapidly responding to the need for detection and monitoring of new
outbreaks. The Group intends to commercialise Affimer based rapid
diagnostics through co-development and licensing to third party
diagnostics developers an example of which is Mologic, a UK rapid
diagnostics developer, with whom a research and product development
collaboration was recently announced.
Dr Alastair Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Avacta, said:
"Avacta's Affimer technology offers a distinct advantage over
antibodies in infectious disease diagnostics in terms of both rapid
development times and specificity. The identification of these
three Affimer binders means that new diagnostic tests could be
developed that have the potential to diagnose a Zika infection from
its early stages, and would be suitable for low cost, rapid
point-of-care diagnostics that could be deployed widely in the
field or at US transport hubs for example.
At the half year we set out three initial strategic priorities
for the Affimer technology, outside of therapeutic applications, in
which we believe that the technology has key competitive
advantages. Rapid diagnostics is one of those strategic priorities
and the news that we have been able to generate highly specific
Affimer binders to a significant emerging health threat in such a
short space of time is strong validation of those advantages.
The success of this work shows that the Affimer technology is a
platform that can be applied more broadly to generate highly
specific binders rapidly. We continue to execute our strategy of
developing Affimer reagents for third party products as well as
developing our in-house therapeutics pipeline focused on
immuno-oncology. I look forward to the next opportunity to update
the market."
About Zika Virus Diagnostics
The Zika NS1 protein used in the study, together with the other
NS1 proteins used for screening, was provided by the Native Antigen
Company (https://thenativeantigencompany.com/). This recombinant
protein was identified as the best reagent available for the
selection of Affimers for Zika diagnostics as it is uniquely
produced in mammalian cells, and is therefore chemically and
structurally very similar to the native viral antigen. It may also
be used as a reference standard in future diagnostic kits.
Existing tests for Zika and the related flaviviruses use PCR to
detect the viral DNA or use antigens to detect the patients' own
antibodies raised against the viral infection. PCR tests are only
effective for a short period of a few days after symptoms begin and
detecting the patients' antibodies to the virus only work after the
immune response has occurred. These tests suffer from cross
reactivity when a patient has been infected in the past with
another flavivirus and vaccination against one flavivirus, yellow
fever for example, can confound the antibody based tests making it
appear that the patient has Zika. NS1 is a protein that is produced
by active flaviviruses from the earliest stages of infection and
therefore, if it is possible to differentiate between the different
NS1 proteins that are specific to each flavivirus, then an
effective and specific diagnostic can be developed. The Affimer
binders that have been generated by Avacta make this possible for
the first time.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For a high resolution image please contact Zyme
Communications
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
Numis Securities Limited Tel: +44 (0)
Michael Meade / Freddie Barnfield 207 260 1000
- Nominated Adviser www.numiscorp.com
James Black - Corporate Broking
WG Partners Tel: +44 (0)
David Wilson 203 705 9318
Nigel Barnes Tel: +44 (0)
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.
Antibodies dominate markets worth in excess of $50bn despite
their shortcomings. Affimer technology has been designed to address
many of these negative performance issues, 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 protein targets.
Avacta has a pre-clinical biotech development programme with an
in-house focus on oncology and bleeding disorders as well as
several partnered development programmes. Avacta is commercialising
non-therapeutic Affimer reagents through custom Affimer services to
provide bespoke solutions to research and diagnostics customers and
via a small on-line catalogue of Affimer products.
About The Native Antigen Company
(www.thenativeantigencompany.com )
The Native Antigen Company (NAC) specialises in development and
manufacture of native and recombinant viral and bacterial antigens.
NAC's antigens are used by pharmaceutical and IVD manufacturers in
vaccine research and serology where proper folding and
glycosylation are vital.
As well as offering antigens from a rapidly expanding portfolio,
NAC undertakes bespoke product development and custom manufacture
using its proprietary mammalian cell protein expression system
Steven Powell, Chief Executive Tel: +44 1869 238067
Officer www.thenativeantigencompany.com
Andy Lane, Commercial Director contact@thenativeantigencompany.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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