24th Feb 2016 08:56
LONDON (Alliance News) - Avacta Group PLC said Wednesday it has been awarded a grant to work with the Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell to develop new affimer reagents which could help reduce the use of animals in life science research.
Avacta noted that genetically engineered mice are a "widely used and essential tool" in biomedical research and drug development. If the efficiency of mice breeding programmes could be improved, Avacta said, production would be reduced and fewer animals would be required. This would result in both commercial and ethical benefits.
The grants has been provided by primarily UK government-funded scientific organisation the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research. Details of the grant were not disclosed.
"If successful then there is a potentially very large global market for such Affimer reagents that will reduce the costs of production and the number of mice used each year in breeding programmes. We are delighted to be working with MRC Harwell on this project which could also open the way to applications in human IVF treatments," said Avacta Chief Executive Officer Alastair Smith in a statement.
Shares in Avacta were trading flat at 115.00 pence Wednesday morning.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; [email protected]; @HanaSSAllNews
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