Corporate | 7 September 2017 07:29
EVOTEC AND ABIVAX ENTER INTO STRATEGIC COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP NOVEL ANTIVIRAL AGENTS
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DGAP-News: Evotec AG / Key word(s): Alliance
– ABIVAX DISCOVERS INITIAL DRUG CANDIDATES TO TREAT MAJOR VIRAL INFECTIONS – EVOTEC OPTIMISES DRUG CANDIDATES AND PERFORMS EARLY TARGET DEVELOPMENT – HITS FOR MAJOR UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS – HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (“RSV”), INFLUENZA AND DENGUE VIRUSES – ALREADY IDENTIFIED – ABIVAX’S ANTIVIRAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED BY ABX464, ITS CLINICAL PHASE II CANDIDATE FOR REDUCING HIV RESERVOIRS
Hamburg, Germany and Paris, France, 07 September 2017:
ABIVAX and Evotec will focus on accelerating discovery and initial development of small molecules in a capital efficient manner. ABIVAX identifies the targets and discover initial drug candidates; Evotec will leverage its industrial state-of-the-art drug discovery platform by optimising ABIVAX’s candidates and performing early target development. Targets in RSV, Influenza and Dengue viral infections have already been identified by ABIVAX and are being evaluated for further development under the partnership. ABIVAX’s antiviral platform is based on its technology of inhibition mRNA biogenesis and its chemical library of more than one thousand small molecules. ABX464, ABIVAX’s lead candidate in Phase II clinical trials, is based on this mode of action and is the first drug candidate ever shown to reduce HIV reservoirs in humans ( http://programme.ias2017.org/Abstract/Abstract/5650 ). ABIVAX carries out hit identification experiments as well as in vitro and in vivo pharmacology studies. Evotec will drive the medicinal chemistry design and execution, additional pharmacology, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), as well as computational chemistry, mode of action and molecular target identification studies. Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, said: “Infectious disease represents one of Evotec’s core areas of focus, and we are delighted to enter into this broad-ranging and exciting partnership with ABIVAX. We are committed along with ABIVAX to driving innovation in this important field with our integrated drug discovery platform in Toulouse, France.” Professor Hartmut Ehrlich, M.D., CEO of ABIVAX, added: “We look forward to extracting further value from our antiviral discovery platform. Evotec is the ideal partner to efficiently advance these promising programmes in order to address the large unmet medical need of patients with these life-threatening and often deadly infectious diseases.” Financial details were not disclosed. Intellectual property originating from this collaboration and all commercial rights to any drug candidates will be owned by ABIVAX. This partnership will be supported, in part, by funding from the “ Projets de R&D Structurants Pour la Compétitivité ” (PSPC) of the “Invest in the Future Program” (PIA), a competitive award granted to ABIVAX in January 2017. The programme is supervised by the General Commissariat of Investment ( Commissariat Général de l’Investissement ) and operated by Bpifrance.
ABOUT ABIVAX
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ABOUT EVOTEC AG
Gabriele Hansen, VP Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
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.
07.09.2017 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG.
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| 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, Tradegate Exchange |
| End of News | DGAP News Service |