Overview

Avacta Life Sciences (Avacta) is harnessing the advantages of its proprietary Affimer® platform to develop safe and efficacious cancer immunotherapies and powerful research and diagnostic tools. In its therapeutic programme, the Company is combining Affimer technology with its pre|CISION™ targeted chemotherapy platform, to improve the overall safety and therapeutic potential of anti-cancer treatments. The Company aims to take its first drug into the clinic in 2020. Avacta’s Affimer reagents are also ideal tools for use in a wide variety of diagnostic applications, offering numerous advantages as novel engineered alternatives to antibodies. Avacta is working with diagnostic partners worldwide to develop Affimer proteins for evaluation, and also developing a small in-house pipeline of Affimer-based diagnostic assays for licensing.

Objectives

Zyme worked with Avacta from 2016 to 2023, initially to raise awareness of the Company’s Affimer® technology and its applications in diagnostics and therapeutics, through science-driven communications that validate the technology and highlight its unique competitive advantages to generate alternative scaffold proteins versus antibodies.

With the development of Avacta’s therapeutic pipeline, the programme evolved to also raise awareness of pre|CISION™ technology and the Company’s pre-clinical and clinical programmes, to demonstrate the commercial and scientific potential of the platform alone, and in combination with Affimer® biotherapeutics.

The programme has leveraged Avacta’s track record and strong credentials to support creation of commercial opportunities and raise the profile of the scientific and management team as leading experts in both the therapeutic and diagnostic fields.

Key achievements
  • Developed trade-focused communications strategy and rolling PR plan for both divisions, ensuring the programme remained flexible to adapt to the changing needs of the Company.
  • Developed PR materials to align messaging and raise awareness of the Affimer® and pre|CISION™ platforms, including messaging documents, media factsheets, Q&As and technology one-pagers.
  • Achieved a high level of regular coverage for all Company news, such as programme updates, partnerships, acquisitions and key appointments, across over 40 of the top target life science publications and local media outlets, including: 360Dx, American Pharmaceutical Review, BioCentury, BioWorld, Drug Discovery World, Diagnostics World, Drug Target Review, Endpoints, Fierce Biotech, GEN, GenomeWeb, LaBiotech, Lab Manager, MedNous, News Medical, Pharma Times, Select Science, Technology Networks, and The Pharma Letter.
  • Secured opportunities to contribute thought-leadership and technical articles for publication in target life science trade publications, including: 360Dx, BioTechniques, Clinical Lab Manager, Drug Discovery World, Drug Discovery News, Drug Target Review, European Biopharmaceutical Review, GEN, Innovations in Pharmaceutical Technology, International Biopharmaceutical Industry, Labiotech, MedNous, Technology Networks, The Pathologist.
  • Provided writing support, where required, for articles placed in life science trade publications and blogs featured on the website.
  • Drafted entries to a range of industry awards, including: BioNow, European Mediscience Awards, Fierce Innovation, OBN Awards, SCRIP Awards, One Nucleus Genesis BioNewsRound Awards, and MedTech Breakthrough Awards, and for local awards, such as: Business Weekly Awards, Cambridge Independent Awards, IOD Yorkshire and Northeast, and Yorkshire Business Masters.
  • Supported at conferences and events, securing media interviews and briefing meetings with editors to ensure key target media are kept up-to-date with latest developments at Avacta, and provided ongoing strategic advice for conference activities, including alternatives for cancelled/postponed events, especially during 2020/21.
  • Promoted and secured press attendance at Avacta-hosted events, such as Science Days and opening events, resulting in significant editorial coverage.
Client comment

Zyme’s expertise in life sciences PR has helped to significantly grow our awareness within the industry. We have worked with Zyme for a number of years and find the team to be very effective as well as flexible and responsive.

Marketing and Communications Manager, Avacta Group plc