Fusion Antibodies Validates OptiMAL Platform Ahead Of December 2025 Commercial Launch

(RTTNews) - Fusion Antibodies plc (FAB.L) announced further progress in its OptiMAL project under a collaboration agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), originally disclosed in November 2023.

Following the successful demonstration of high-affinity antibodies against protein targets, OptiMAL has now shown comparable effectiveness with smaller peptide targets. Peptides, often used as antigens due to their ability to mimic specific protein regions, are easier and more cost-effective to synthesize but typically yield weaker antibodies due to low immunogenicity. OptiMAL overcomes this limitation by eliminating the need for an immune response.

The advancement supports broader application of OptiMAL across diverse targets, enhancing market reach and revenue potential. The next phase involves testing the antibodies in cell-based assays at the NCI to assess their therapeutic viability.

The results further validate OptiMAL as a platform for isolating specific antibodies against both proteins and peptides.

The company said it remains on track for a commercial launch of OptiMAL at the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference in December 2025, with ongoing efforts to refine and expand the platform.

Under the current agreement, NCI has access to OptiMAL for discovering novel antibodies against selected targets. Although the agreement is set to expire in November 2025, NCI has requested an extension to explore additional targets. Negotiations are underway to establish terms for a continued collaboration.