DB Securities on the 15th said Aprilbio is expected to be reappraised for its SAFA platform technology, with results from next year's new drug trials also anticipated to deliver performance. It did not present a target price or investment opinion. Aprilbio's closing price in the previous trading session was 43,400 won.
Aprilbio is a corporations that develops antibody therapeutics by applying its antibody library (HuDVFab library) and SAFA platform technology.
SAFA, Aprilbio's proprietary long-acting technology, is a platform technology that increases the half-life of antibody therapeutics by using a human Fab antibody fragment (SL335) that binds to serum albumin. The company has signed a technology out-licensing contract worth 1 trillion won for the thyroid eye disease (TED) therapeutic candidate "APB-A1" and the autoinflammation therapeutic "APB-R3," which apply this technology.
Researcher Lee Myung-seon at DB Securities said, "Next year we will be able to confirm the phase 1 results for APB-A1 and the phase 2 results for APB-R3," adding, "The partner company has already said the trials are proceeding smoothly and has mentioned the possibility of expanding indications." Lee said this could lead to a reappraisal of the SAFA platform technology and receipt of additional milestones (stepwise payments).
In addition, the company is increasing modalities (therapies) with proof-of-concept (PoC) data for REMAP, its multi-antibody and Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) platform, and is expanding indications from autoimmune diseases to anticancer drugs.
The researcher said, "We expect achievements from new platform technologies, including additional technology transfer agreements."