Fusion Antibodies plc (AIM: FAB), a Belfast-based specialist in pre-clinical antibody discovery and engineering, on Monday reported further validation of its OptiMAL platform under its collaboration with the US National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Following earlier results showing superior single-digit nanomolar affinities for antibodies against protein targets, OptiMAL has now demonstrated equivalent success with smaller peptide targets. This achievement confirms the platform's ability to isolate specific antibodies without requiring an immune response, addressing a key limitation of traditional peptide-based approaches.

The findings broaden the platform's potential applications across a wider range of targets, expanding Fusion's accessible market and future revenue opportunities. Next steps include testing the antibodies in NCI-led cell-based assays to assess their therapeutic potential.

Fusion remains on track to commercially launch OptiMAL at the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference in December 2025. Discussions are also underway with NCI to extend the existing collaboration beyond its current November 2025 end date.

Founded in 2001 as a Queen's University Belfast spin-out, Fusion Antibodies provides antibody generation, engineering, and optimisation services to global pharmaceutical and biotech clients, including eight of the world's top 10 pharma companies.