On July 2, 2021 Aptamer Science reported that the company preparing to apply for a phase 1 clinical trial plan for ‘AST-201’, a liver cancer treatment candidate, in Korea and China in the second half of 2021 (Press release, Aptamer Sciences, JUL 2, 2021, View Source;idx=132 [SID1234641529]).

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Aptamer Science has been implementing a business strategy of promoting technology export of candidate substances after completing preclinical (animal testing) testing or conducting phase 1 clinical trials and then exporting technology.

Aptamer Science plans to complete preclinical trials of AST-201 within this year and begin global phase 1 clinical trials in Korea and China.

Aptamer Science explained that AST-201 is an aptamer anticancer treatment that binds gemcitabine, a cytotoxic substance, to liver cancer cells.

Currently, Aptamer Science is known to have signed a confidentiality agreement (CDA) regarding AST-201 with a Chinese pharmaceutical company and is discussing technology export.

In the securities industry, there is a view that Aptamer Science is planning to enter phase 1 clinical trials within 2021 and achieve results in order to speed up discussions on technology export.

Aptamer Science is the only company in Asia that possesses aptamer discovery technology. It was founded in 2011 by CEO Dong-il Han and professors at Pohang University of Science and Technology.

An aptamer is an oligonucleotide that forms a three-dimensional shape and binds to a target substance. It is known to have high material stability because it recognizes its three-dimensional shape and is produced through chemical synthesis.

In general, antibodies bind only to a single site and have immunogenic side effects, but aptamers can bind to multiple sites and there is no case of immune rejection in humans. Low manufacturing costs and the ability to expand to various application fields are also considered strengths.

The liver cancer treatment candidate is also the only one in Asia made with aptamer technology.

In an interview with a media outlet, CEO Han said, "Aptamer technology binds as if surrounding the target with a three-dimensional structure, showing even better binding power," and added, "We will widely promote aptamer technology, which is easier to chemically synthesize and has superior efficacy than existing antibodies." "He said.

In the pharmaceutical bio industry, the aptamer anti-cancer treatment AST-201 is evaluated as a substance that can overcome the limitations of existing targeted anti-cancer treatments as it shows high tissue permeability (the degree to which the drug is absorbed into the tissue) and the characteristics of overcoming anti-cancer drug resistance.

In 2005, the global pharmaceutical company Pfizer developed Macugen, a macular degeneration treatment, the first new drug made with aptamer technology, and the possibility of developing new drugs was already proven.

Aptamer Science also developed the world’s first lung cancer early diagnosis kit based on Aptamer technology. It received Class 3 medical device certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2017 and European CE (European Standards and Standards System) certification in 2018, and is preparing for commercialization in the second half of 2021.

At the ‘Bio Korea 2021’ event held in June, Aptamer Science conducted joint research discussions with global pharmaceutical companies to develop blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrating shuttle aptamer technology, which expanded the application areas of aptamer technology.

It is reported that global pharmaceutical companies have shown particular interest because the blood-brain barrier penetration technology can be used for all brain disease drugs.

An Aptamer Science official said, "We cannot disclose the current discussions on AST-201 and blood-brain barrier penetration technology as they are business secrets."

According to U.S. market research firm Transparency Market Research, the global aptamer market is expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2017 to $5.9 billion in 2025. It grows by 20.9% every year.