25 November 2022

Aptamer Group plc

("Aptamer", the "Company" or the "Group")

Aptamer Group to officially open new state-of-the-art facilities

-       The new site will support the increased demand for Optimer technology

-       Baroness Susan Greenfield will open the new site

Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the developer of novel Optimer^® binders to enable innovation in the life sciences industry, announces that it will today officially open its new facilities in York Science Park, UK, that will allow it to meet the increasing demand for Optimer technology.

Aptamer's new facilities have tripled the Group's previous footprint and include new containment level 1 and 2 laboratories. This state-of-the-art site will help to expand the capacity of Aptamer's proprietary Optimer platform to deliver novel binders for scientists across the bioprocessing, diagnostic, and drug development sectors. In addition to Optimer discovery and development, a portion of the new lab space will be dedicated to validation and assay development to provide turnkey solutions for its customers and partners.

Optimer binders are next-generation aptamers that can be used as synthetic antibody alternatives. They offer key benefits of smaller size, reduced immunogenicity, increased stability, and ethical compliance as their discovery, development, and manufacture are animal-free. These binders are enabling researchers to pursue new targets and applications, such as targeted drug delivery, that have previously proven intractable with protein-based technologies.

The eminent neuroscience researcher Baroness Susan Greenfield will open the new 18,000 sq ft site today with York Central's MP Rachel Maskell. The visitors will receive a tour of the new premises with a presentation from Baroness Greenfield regarding scientific discovery within growing biotech companies. No new information will be disclosed at the opening of the new site.

"We are excited to move to the new purpose-developed site for Aptamer Group, which will enable us to keep up with the increased demand for our Optimer technology at our new larger lab and office facilities," commented Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group.

Baroness Susan Greenfield, visiting Aptamer's new site today, said: "I'm delighted to support a British company, clearly flourishing with an exciting new technology!"

Dr Arron Tolley continued: "This expansion will mean Aptamer is able to work on larger-scale projects that can be processed faster to support our partners with Optimers as a robust and much-needed alternative to antibodies."

- ENDS -

For further information, please contact:

Aptamer Group plc

Dr Arron Tolley                                                                                                  +44 (0) 1904 217 404

Consilium Strategic Communications

Matthew Neal / Chris Welsh / Lucy Featherstone                                                 +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

                                                                                                                            [email protected]

About Aptamer Group plc

Aptamer Group develops custom affinity binders through its proprietary Optimer^® platform to enable new approaches in therapeutics, diagnostics and research applications. The Company strives to deliver transformational solutions that meet the needs of life science researchers and developers through its proprietary Optimer^® platform.

Optimer^® binders are oligonucleotide affinity ligands that can serve as antibody alternatives in a variety of applications across different life science sectors. The global antibody market is currently worth over $145.0 billion. Optimer^® binders are engineered to address many of the issues found with alternative affinity molecules, such as antibodies, and offer new, innovative solutions to bioprocessing, diagnostic and pharmaceutical scientists.

Aptamer Group has successfully delivered projects for global pharma companies, diagnostic development companies, and research institutes covering a range of targets and applications with the objective of establishing royalty-bearing licenses. Through the Optimer^® technology and processes, scientists and collaborators can make faster, more informed decisions to support discovery and development across the Life Sciences.