Evotec and Harvard University to collaborate on exploration of enteroendocrine signals affecting key metabolic pathways

Hamburg, Germany - 10 October 2013: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced a second research collaboration, TargetEEM (Enteroendocrine Mechanisms), with the laboratory of Doug Melton, Xander University Professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Scientific Co-Director and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. The objective of this collaboration is to identify novel enteroendocrine mechanisms, pathways and signals regulating key metabolic processes that have disease-modifying potential in diabetic patients. Evotec's first collaboration with the Melton laboratory was focused on beta cell replication.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease affecting several hundred million people worldwide. Although treatment regimes based on insulin and insulin sensitizers are the standard of care and have helped patients tremendously, they are not modifying cause or progression of the disease.

TargetEEM is comprehensive screening effort by Harvard and Evotec designed to systematically search for novel pathways and targets that have the potential to address key pathophysiological mechanisms involved in insulin resistance and energy handling.

The basis of this effort will be disease-relevant animal models as well as unbiased transcriptional and proteomic profiling platforms contributed by both collaboration partners. Harvard and Evotec will collaborate in a highly integrated and fashion and share potential commercial rewards.

Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, commented: 'Metabolic diseases and in particular diabetes continue to be on the rise and are not only a serious threat to patients but represent enormous challenges to healthcare systems all over the world. We are very excited about this second collaboration with Doug's lab. It is designed to break new ground and identify novel enteroendocrine mechanisms with disease-modifying potential.'

'This collaboration between Harvard and Evotec, the second in the field of metabolic disease, benefits from our good working relationship and mutual interest in undertaking a comprehensive effort to elucidate the disease mechanisms that underlie this serious health problem', added Dr Vivian Berlin, Director Business Development in Harvard's Office of Technology Development.

Financial details were not disclosed. 

ABOUT DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic incapacitating disease associated with severe life-long conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, nerve damage and eye diseases, which require intensive monitoring and control. Diabetes is caused by relative or complete decrease in insulin production and secretion by pancreatic beta cells. Furthermore, diabetes can be caused by the reduced effectiveness of secreted insulin in consequence of the gradual loss of insulin sensitivity of target cells which is called insulin resistance. At present, there is no cure for diabetes and only symptomatic treatment options are available. The most common diabetes types are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Currently, about 90-95% of diabetes patients worldwide have type 2 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Foundation, there are 371 million people worldwide who are diagnosed with diabetes (2011: 366 million) and about 187 million who are at risk of costly and debilitating diabetes complications who have not yet been diagnosed. It is estimated that about 4.8 million people will have died from diabetes at the end of 2012 (2011: 4.0 million). Concerning the diabetes market volume, $ 471 bn were spent on the treatment of diabetes in 2012 (2011: $ 465 bn).

ABOUT HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Harvard's Office of Technology Development ('OTD') is responsible for all activities pertaining to the evaluation, patenting and licensing of new inventions and discoveries made at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. OTD also serves to further the development of Harvard technologies through the establishment of sponsored research collaborations with industry. OTD's mission is to promote the public good by fostering innovation and translating new inventions made at Harvard into useful products available and beneficial to society.

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 report. 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.