Corporate | 7 August 2015 07:00
DGAP-News: Evotec AG / Key word(s): Alliance
2015-08-07 / 07:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Development of beta cell replacement therapy
* Discovery and development of beta cell modulating drugs
* Risk-shared transaction exceeding EUR 300 m milestone potential and
significant royalties for Evotec
Hamburg, Germany - 07 August 2015: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange:
EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and Sanofi today announced a strategic
collaboration in the field of diabetes. The goal of this collaboration will
be to develop a beta cell replacement therapy based on functional human
beta cells derived from human stem cells. In addition, Sanofi and Evotec
will also use human beta cells for high-throughput drug screening to
identify beta cell active small molecules or biologics.
Both companies will make significant contributions to this collaboration in
terms of expertise, platforms and resources. The collaboration will further
enhance and complement Sanofi's extensive diabetes portfolio and will
extend Evotec's metabolic disease and stem cell-based drug discovery
programs.
The agreement between Evotec and Sanofi triggers an upfront payment of EUR
3 m, potential pre-clinical, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones
which could total over EUR 300 m as well as significant royalties and
research payments.
Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, commented: "The use
of human stem cells in drug discovery and development is on the rise and
will increasingly shift the landscape from symptomatic treatments to
disease-modifying therapies also in diabetes. We are very proud to partner
with Sanofi, one of the leading diabetes companies in this exciting novel
field of drug discovery and development."
Philip Larsen, MD, PhD, Vice President, Global Head of Diabetes Research
and Translational Science at Sanofi, added: "Combining Sanofi's and
Evotec's beta cell and stem cell expertise in drug discovery and
development will enable optimal exploitation of the potential of stem cell
derived human beta cells for therapy and drug screening in diabetes. We are
excited about the prospects of this collaboration as both companies provide
highly complementary expertise to translate human stem cell technologies
into highly innovative new products."
ABOUT BETA CELLS
Beta cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetes, a condition
which currently affects 387 million patients worldwide. Beta cells reside
in clusters of hormone producing cells ("islets") within the pancreas. They
respond to elevated blood glucose levels (e.g. after a meal) by secreting
the glucose lowering hormone insulin. In the type 1 form of diabetes
("T1D"), beta cells are destroyed by the patient's own immune system. As a
result, T1D patients have to follow a life-long regimen of carefully dosed
insulin injections. In patients with type 2 diabetes ("T2D"), beta cells
are functionally impaired and yet have to work in the presence of metabolic
stress and increased work load due to an impaired tissue insulin response.
T2D is progressive, and current therapeutic options cannot prevent the
deterioration of beta cell function, eventually also creating a need for
insulin injections. Insulin injections represent a significant burden to
patients. They cannot fully mimic the normal control of blood glucose
levels by normal beta cells, frequently resulting in debilitating acute and
long-term complications. There is an enormous medical need for novel
therapeutic options which can restore beta cell mass and thereby reduce or
eliminate the need for insulin injections, or which can prevent or reverse
the decline in beta cell function in type 2 diabetes.
ABOUT EVOTEC AG
Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company
focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy
groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide providing the highest
quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery solutions, covering all
activities from target-to-clinic. The Company has established a unique
position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating
state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and
expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuroscience, pain, metabolic
diseases as well as oncology, inflammation and infectious diseases. Evotec
has long-term discovery alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer
Ingelheim, CHDI, Genentech, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, MedImmune/AstraZeneca,
Roche and UCB. In addition, the Company has existing development
partnerships and product candidates both in clinical and pre-clinical
development. These include partnerships with Boehringer Ingelheim and
MedImmune in the field of diabetes, with Janssen Pharmaceuticals in the
field of depression and with Roche in the field of Alzheimer's disease. For
additional information please go to www.evotec.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS - Information set forth in this press release
contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent
the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such
forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are
subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond
our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from
those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly
disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or
revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations
or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such
statement is based.
Contact Evotec AG:
Gabriele Hansen, VP Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Phone:
+49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2015-08-07 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Company: Evotec AG
Manfred Eigen Campus / Essener Bogen 7
22419 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)40 560 81-0
Fax: +49 (0)40 560 81-222
E-mail: info@evotec.com
Internet: www.evotec.com
ISIN: DE0005664809
WKN: 566480
Indices: TecDAX
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover,
Munich, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------
384597 2015-08-07