Evotec announces Research Agreement on Fragment Based Screening Drug
Discovery with Cubist Pharmaceuticals
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Hamburg, Germany/ Oxford, UK - Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange:
EVT; NASDAQ: EVTC), a leading provider in the discovery and
development of novel small molecule drugs, today announced that it
has entered into a research agreement with Cubist Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST), a leading acute care biopharmaceutical company
located in Lexington, Mass., USA.
Cubist will use Evotec's proprietary fragment screening technology,
EVOlutionTM to complement discovery research efforts in two of its
antibacterials programs. EVOlutionTM combines biochemical, nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)
screening technologies for the screening of low molecular weight
compounds and fragments. By the combination of the orthogonal
screening technologies, Evotec's fragment screening platform is
capable of screening a more diverse set of biological targets than
other fragment screening approaches, as well as being able to screen
the fragments in a high-throughput mode. The benefit of this is the
ability to identify active fragments for numerous classes of
biological targets in a short space of time.
In combination with fragment screening technology, Evotec will use
its expertise in structural biology and protein crystallography in
order to determine the 3-dimensional structure of the fragments bound
to the targets of interest. To this end, Evotec will use its
internal crystallography platform and will access the
state-of-the-art synchrotron technology of the Diamond Light Source,
its partner for protein crystallography. By providing this
technology in combination with its fragment screening, Evotec will
supply high quality results to Cubist to enable the structure-driven
identification of drug candidates for their priority antibacterial
targets.
Dr Mark Ashton, Evotec's EVP, Business Development commented: "We are
pleased to be working with Cubist and look forward to identifying
interesting fragments for their targets and to supporting them in
their quest for new treatments for antibacterial diseases."
No financial details are disclosed.
About fragment-based drug discovery
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a new paradigm in drug
discovery that utilizes very small molecules - fragments of more
complex molecules - to generate efficient starting points for drug
discovery. This approach thus provides the opportunity to effectively
manage the molecular weight and overall complexity of drug
candidates, a recognised success factor in drug development.
About NMR and SPR screening technologies
NMR and SPR screening technologies are used to study the interaction
of small molecules, such as drug candidates, with their targets.
About Diamond Light Source
Diamond generates extremely intense pin-point beams of synchrotron
light of exceptional quality ranging from x-rays, ultra-violet and
infrared. For example Diamond's x-rays are around 100 billion times
brighter than a standard hospital X-ray machine or 10 billion times
brighter than the sun. For more information about Diamond, see
www.diamond.ac.uk
For further information, please contact:
Dr Mark Ashton
EVP, Business Development
Evotec AG
T: +44 (0) 1235 441236
E : mark.ashton@evotec.com
Karen Slack
De Facto Communications
T : +44 (0) 20 7861 3043
E : k.slack@defacto.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking
statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
statements about our expectations and assumptions concerning
regulatory, clinical and business strategies, the progress of our
clinical development programs and timing of the results of our
clinical trials, strategic collaborations and management's plans,
objectives and strategies. These 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. In particular, the risks and
uncertainties include, among other things: risks that the Company may
be unable to reduce its cash burn through recent restructuring and
cost containment measures; risks that product candidates may fail in
the clinic or may not be successfully marketed or manufactured; risks
relating to our ability to advance the development of product
candidates currently in the pipeline or in clinical trials; our
inability to further identify, develop and achieve commercial success
for new products and technologies; the risk that competing products
may be more successful; our inability to interest potential partners
in our technologies and products; our inability to achieve commercial
success for our products and technologies; our inability to protect
our intellectual property and the cost of enforcing or defending our
intellectual property rights; our failure to comply with regulations
relating to our products and product candidates, including FDA
requirements; the risk that the FDA may interpret the results of our
studies differently than we have; the risk that clinical trials may
not result in marketable products; the risk that we may be unable to
successfully secure regulatory approval of and market our drug
candidates; and risks of new, changing and competitive technologies
and regulations in the U.S. and internationally.
The list of risks above is not exhaustive. Our most recent Annual
Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and other documents filed with, or furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission, contain additional factors that
could impact our businesses and financial performance. 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.
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Evotec AG
Schnackenburgallee 114 Hamburg Germany
WKN: 566480; ISIN:
DE0005664809 ; Index: Prime All Share, CDAX, HDAX, MIDCAP, TECH All
Share;
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