Avacta Group plc Announces Key Affimer Patent to be Granted in China

Avacta Group plc is pleased to announce that the principal patent protecting the Affimer technology has been accepted for grant in the People’s Republic of China. On issuance, this patent will extend coverage of Avacta’s intellectual property into another potentially large market for the Company; considering the therapeutic applications of Affimers alone, China now accounts for more than one fifth of the global therapeutic antibody market.

Counterparts to this patent have already been granted in the US, Europe and Japan.

The Affimer technology is based on a small protein that has been engineered to present a ‘sticky’ surface that can be made to bind strongly and specifically to a target of interest such as another protein or virus. The way in which the Affimer has been engineered to give it the ability to bind a target is the core invention covered by Avacta’s intellectual property.

The Company is commercialising the Affimer technology through a licensing model to developers of diagnostic and research products, and is building a pipeline of Affimer drugs both in-house and with partners. Protection of the Company’s intellectual property in China is an important step in creating commercial partnering opportunities to address the Chinese diagnostic and biopharmaceutical markets.

Dr Alastair Smith, Avacta Group Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The grant of a robust patent to cover the core Affimer intellectual property in China adds further strength to our global intellectual property position. We continue to develop the core technology and I look forward to updating the market regarding further expansion of our Affimer intellectual property estate in due course.”