Aptamer Group plc (LSE:APTA) reported a 27% year-on-year increase in unaudited first-half revenue to £0.83 million, supported by a fee-for-service order book exceeding £2.0 million for FY26 and a broader sales pipeline valued at £3.1 million. The board said this visibility underpins its expectation that full-year revenue will come in materially ahead of the prior year.
The group continues to accelerate its shift from development-stage activities toward commercialisation. During the period, Aptamer signed non-exclusive licensing agreements with Twist Bioscience and Alphazyme, generating upfront payments alongside the potential for future royalty income. Additional licensing discussions are ongoing for its Optimer® binders across diagnostics and enzyme applications, while the company has also secured a top-three pharmaceutical partner for a radioligand development programme. This was complemented by significant repeat business from other leading pharmaceutical clients.
Operational progress extended beyond licensing. Aptamer reported continued advancement of programmes with Unilever, the development of new Optimer® immunohistochemistry reagents for a global diagnostics group, and further de-risking of its fibrotic liver disease therapeutic candidate. Management said these developments enhance the group’s intellectual property portfolio and validate its dual revenue model, combining fee-for-service work with higher-margin, recurring licensing income, while reinforcing its position as a specialist technology partner to blue-chip customers in pharma, diagnostics and consumer goods.
Despite the strategic momentum, the company’s outlook remains constrained by weak underlying financial metrics, including ongoing losses and negative cash flows, alongside historically volatile revenue. These pressures are partly offset by supportive technical indicators, which show a clear upward trend in the share price. Valuation remains challenged by the lack of profitability and the absence of dividend guidance.
More about Aptamer Group Plc
Aptamer Group plc is an AIM-listed life sciences company developing next-generation synthetic binders through its proprietary Optimer® platform. The technology is applied across pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, consumer goods and emerging areas such as radioligand therapies. The group is increasingly focused on building higher-margin, recurring revenues through fee-for-service discovery projects and non-exclusive licensing agreements that monetise its intellectual property on a global scale.
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