Hamburg, Germany, 19 January 2017: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced it has entered into an integrated drug discovery collaboration on an ion channel target with Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Evotec will apply its integrated drug discovery platform including medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and in vitro pharmacology to optimise hit compounds identified and selected from the Evotec compound library collection through a recent successful high-throughput screening campaign executed at Evotec. 

Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, stated: "We are delighted to expand our collaboration with Asahi Kasei Pharma into a fully integrated drug discovery project. Evotec operates one of the most comprehensive ion channel platforms in the industry and this collaboration represents further validation of the strength of this platform and the library screened. We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Asahi Kasei Pharma." 

No financial details were disclosed. 

ABOUT ASAHI KASEI 

Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a research-based health care innovator that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets pharmaceuticals and diagnostic products. Asahi Kasei Pharma is a wholly owned business unit of Asahi Kasei Corporation, a US$ 18 billion technology company that provides innovative, science-based solutions to a diverse range of markets including health care, chemicals and fibers, housing and construction materials, and electronics. For more information, please visit the Asahi Kasei Corporation website at www.asahi-kasei.co.jp. 

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.