Evotec and Sanofi Join to Further Cutting-Edge Therapeutic Drug Discovery
Yesterday, Evotec AG (EVT) announced that Sanofi will be participating in an organized Public Private Partnership (PPP) that involves the initiation of brand newly formed BRIDGE, or LAB031, which was created to further the discovery of therapeutic drugs in multiple areas.
Evotec Execute is described on the company’s website as representing “Evotec's core discovery and development alliance businesses built on a systematic, unbiased and comprehensive innovation infrastructure. In this segment, the Company serves its partners intellectual property with its innovative drug discovery and development integrated tools and expertise. Evotec has evolved into one of the global leaders in providing complete drug discovery and development solutions on a stand-alone basis or through holistic, fully integrated solutions. In EVT Execute, these services are provided on a typical fee-for-service basis or through a variety of commercial structures including research fees, milestones and/or royalties. Evotec never takes development risks within such alliances.”
“EVT Execute offers the life sciences industry a variety of ways to access drug discovery innovation in a time efficient manner, through variable cost models but still with the highest standards of scientific execution,” additions Dr. Mario Polywka, Coo of Evotec. “Partners can access our drug discovery platform on a stand-alone or integrated project basis and have the confidence that through creative deal making and high-quality alliance and project management, their programmes are in safe hands.”
Throughout the course of the next three years, Sanofi will make funds available to utilize Evotec’s drug discovery and industrial screening platforms. Sanofi will additionally make known milestone criteria from which to determine and confirm development on each individual project. The BRIDGE LAB031 will give Evotec connections to academic institutions all over the globe, entering into research collaborations and initial-stage discoveries with groundbreaking information on subjects of disease where there is largely unmet medical demand.
Sanofi, a “global healthcare leader”, invested 5.5 billion pounds into Research and Development in 2017 alone. They currently have 70 “projects under development” and boast 7 “new molecular entities and vaccines approvals since 2015”. “Life is a health journey, with its ups and downs, and its challenges. These can be big or small, lifelong or temporary. Everyone, from children to elderly people, face health challenges and needs, wherever they are. We at Sanofi, are there beside people in need, as a health journey partner. Many patients are depending on us. We aim to protect, enable and support people facing health challenges, so they can live life to its full potential,” states its website.
In June of this year, Evotec established the partnership with Sanofi while furthering its effect on the infectious disease sector. By signing a three-month-old deal with Sanofi, Evotec integrated its anti-infectives unit, which included much of Sanofi’s extensive infection disease research portfolio.
"This BRIDGE announced today is another strategic expansion of Evotec's relationship with Sanofi. Supporting academic initiatives globally through BRIDGEs is designed to enable Evotec to validate translational ideas more efficiently,” quoted Dr. Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec.
Shiv Krishnan, Head of Technology Platforms, Global Business Development & Licensing, at Sanofi stated that "we are pleased to expand our relationship with Evotec and establish LAB031. Sanofi is focused on identifying the best resources available in order to translate academic innovation into clinical assets.”
BRIDGE LAB031’s name is meant to nod to the section of the Garonne in which Toulouse, France has been a fruitful birthplace for Sanofi and Evotec’s collaborations.