Aptamer Group plc has announced three new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) members. 
 
Dr. Paloma Giangrande, Dr. Louis Allot, and Dr. Adam Hargreaves join Aptamer’s SAB with established members Professor Paul Townsend and Dr. Shozo Fujita. The team will provide scientific expertise, an extensive contact network, and valuable market insights to Aptamer.
 
The newly formed SAB will primarily focus on addressing the commercialization of the Group’s internal Optimer development programs for targeted therapeutic delivery vehicles with diverse payloads, such as siRNA therapies and radiopharmaceuticals. The collaborative potential for advancing Optimer binders across many different application areas is also strengthened by the addition of industry experts to Aptamer’s SAB, who will review and advise on product strategies, scientific approaches, and evidence generation for data to enable clinical advancement.
 
The SAB is chaired by Dr. David Bunka, Aptamer’s Chief Scientific Officer, and deputy chaired by Dr. Arron Tolley, Aptamer’s Chief Executive Officer.

About the New Members

Dr. Paloma Giangrande is an expert in the development and translation of nucleic acid therapeutics and aptamer-based delivery. She pioneered the use of RNA aptamers for targeted siRNA delivery beyond the liver, significantly expanding the therapeutic potential of RNA interference. Giangrande has held key leadership roles in renowned biotechnology companies, including Moderna, Wave Life Sciences, and Eleven Therapeutics. Her strategic leadership at prestigious institutions underscores her commitment to advancing innovative RNA-based treatments.
 
Dr. Louis Allot is an expert in the clinical development of radiopharmaceuticals. He has extensive experience in developing novel radiopharmaceutical technologies from small molecules, to proteins, aptamers, and antibodies. He has previously held positions at Imperial College London, the University of Hull, and the Molecular Imaging Research Centre (MIRC), a GMP radiopharmaceutical production facility. Allot holds an honorary position as Lecturer in Radiochemistry at King’s College London and, through Radiopharmium continues to be actively involved in translational research concerning the targeted delivery of radiopharmaceuticals.
 
Dr. Adam Hargreaves is the founder of PathCelerate Limited. Spanning a 20-year career, he has previously worked for AstraZeneca and has expertise in preclinical and translational small molecule, biologic, and RNA-based pharmaceuticals. Hargreaves is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and is a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathology. He joined Aptamer Group as a Non-Executive Director in 2023 and moved to Non-Executive Chair in 2024.
 
Dr. Tolley, CEO of Aptamer Group, said: “The new appointments to our Scientific Advisory Board bring additional focus to our strategy and will give valuable insights to support the advancement of our high-value assets and programs towards the clinic. These appointments underscore our dedication to capitalize on current assets and the strength of our platform to maximize shareholder value. The enlarged SAB aims to deepen our understanding of clinical processes and clinical applications of our technology whilst ensuring we keep abreast of any new important developments that could offer significant value for Aptamer in the future.”