REPORT SCOPE
INTRODUCTION
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of this study is to determine and describe the specific applications and global market demand for nucleic acid aptamers for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. The report covers a 5-year period from 2009 to 2014. In addition to a breakdown by therapeutic or diagnostic application, markets are further divided by major disease type addressed, or diagnostic application (i.e., clinical, environmental, biodefense, etc.).
We also identify emerging technology growth opportunities in aptamer use as adjuvants for siRNA delivery, vaccines, and antisense technologies.
Although this report focuses on the 2009 to 2014 time frame, significant recent investment in aptamer technology indicates that the therapeutic modality may remain important for some time to come. Thus, while the aptamer field is yet an emerging niche of biotechnology, we highlight high growth and market potential segments of the industry and new and established companies in the arena.
In addition to a quantitative market analysis, this report includes a significant summary of the intellectual property landscape and thus will be particularly useful to companies deciding whether or not to enter the aptamer space. Finally, the study will be useful for the ever-increasing number of diagnostic and biosensor development start-ups interested in the unique aspects of aptamers as inexpensive, synthetic ligands for molecular recognition.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
Although aptamers and their directed selection in the laboratory were described in 1990, their widespread acceptance in therapeutics and diagnostics is still being realized. Aptamers have a number of advantages over their antibody counterparts, which are discussed in detail within the report. Perhaps most important in the therapeutic context, as nucleic acids, aptamers are readily chemically synthesized and therefore are comparably easy to characterize over antibodies produced by recombinant means. For similar reasons, aptamers are readily developed and used by boutique developers of novel diagnostics and biosensors, and larger firms are beginning to take notice. Finally, several of the initial patents in the aptamer field are set to soon expire, which may make for a changing intellectual property landscape. This report is therefore timely in that regard as well.
SCOPE OF REPORT
The scope of this report covers all major known applications of aptamers in the biotechnology arena. Nevertheless, the study focuses on applications judged to be commercially viable rather than enabling of basic research.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This report should be comprehensible to all executives and scientific personnel in the biotechnology industry. Those familiar with the concepts involved in therapeutic antibodies should be well prepared to receive the report. Similarly, those familiar with the role of antibodies in diagnostics (i.e., immunoassays of any type) will also find the report useful because it will explain the extended capability of aptamers in similar contexts.
INFORMATION SOURCES
BCC researchers surveyed biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and diagnostics companies to obtain data for this study. Included were life-science research tools, drug, biotechnology, and DNA synthesis firms, as well as leading life-science research institutions. We also spoke with industry thought leaders and academics in the field. In addition, we compiled data from secondary sources, including industry, trade, and government. Finally, active intellectual property professionals in the area were consulted.
ANALYST CREDENTIALS
Dr. George William (“Bill”) Jackson, Ph.D., serves as a Senior Scientist at BioTex, Inc. in Houston, TX. Dr. Jackson is an active researcher in the molecular biology and diagnostics field with numerous federal grants in the area. Particularly, he has served as principal investigator (PI) on several projects utilizing aptamers for both sensing and bioremediation. Most recently, he served as PI on a research grant from the National Institutes of Health to select “an aptamer to everything,” which was formally titled, “Platform for Massively Parallel Selection of Aptamer Ligands.” He has served on peer review panels at the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency on topics ranging from biodefense and medical diagnostics to water quality. Dr. Jackson has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications or conference proceedings and is the inventor on three issued and nine pending patents.
Co-author, Dr. Ulrich Strych, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. Dr. Strych is an experienced molecular biologist who has collaborated with Dr. Jackson for more than 3 years on various aptamer-related research projects. Dr. Strych has extensive modern molecular biology experience, methods development know-how in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and other bioanalytical approaches, and hands-on experience with other methods of high-throughput combinatorial screening, such as phage display.
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DISCLAIMER
The information developed in this report is intended to be as reliable as possible at the time of publication and of a professional nature. This information does not constitute managerial, legal, or accounting advice; nor should it serve as a corporate policy guide, laboratory manual, or an endorsement of any product, as much of the information is speculative in nature. The author assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage that might result from reliance on the reported information or its use.
