Hamburg, Germany | Oxfordshire, UK | Tokyo, Japan - Evotec OAI AG (Deutsche Börse: EVT, TecDAX 30), a partner for integrated high-value-added drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and Toray Industries, Inc, today announced that they have entered into a screening and medicinal chemistry collaboration to identify drug candidates interacting with one of the drug targets discovered in the genomic novel drug discovery project in Toray. 
 
Evotec OAI will use its state-of-the-art computational chemistry platform to virtually screen its database of over 3 million compounds to identify structures that are predicted to interact with the target. The hit molecules will be optimised in terms of their potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic profile by Evotec OAI's medicinal chemists with compound profiling and selectivity screening being carried out using Evotec OAI's proprietary FCS+plus screening technology together with integrated in vitro ADMET assays. Evotec OAI will receive fees for services carried out and milestone payments for the successful performance of the project.
 
Bernard Questier, Chief Business Officer of Evotec OAI, said, "We are proud that Toray has chosen our integrated approach consisting of computational chemistry, assay development, screening and medicinal chemistry as the most promising way to identify active compounds interacting with  their drug target. We are looking forward to a fruitful and successful collaboration."
 
"Evotec OAI has a strong track record in computational and medicinal chemistry, and in the screening of similar targets," commented Nasanobu Naruto, Ph.D., Director of Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories at Toray. "Their integrated and tailored approach has convinced us that Evotec OAI is the ideal partner for our drug discovery project."
 
About Evotec OAI AG
Evotec OAI has established itself as the partner of choice for drug discovery and development services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide, maintaining its leadership role through innovation and unmatched customer service.
The Company's business strategy is clearly focussed on drug discovery. It has established the most comprehensive technology platform and skills that integrate its world-class biology and chemistry capabilities. Evotec OAI leverages this discovery engine in providing assay development and screening through to compound optimisation and drug manufacturing services to a broad and well-established network of customers. In addition, the Company engages in selected discovery programmes itself to develop drug candidates for early out-licensing. Evotec OAI's instrument and technology business is now successfully handled by its affiliate, Evotec Technologies.
With over 600 people in Hamburg, Germany and Oxfordshire, UK, Evotec OAI is dedicated to returning value to its shareholders and employees through a sustainable business strategy that balances short-term and long-term revenue opportunities.
www.evotecoai.com
 
About Toray Industries, Inc. 
Toray, a leading diversified chemical corporate group, has been technology-focused. Its operations are underpinned by technological expertise in organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biochemistry. Toray's innovative technologies have yielded advanced materials that we are now exploiting to provide customers with comprehensive solutions through our Fibers and Textiles, Plastics and Chemicals, IT-related Products, Housing and Engineering, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products. The Toray Group consists of 199 companies (111 in Japan and 88 overseas) in 18 countries and regions.
In the pharmaceutical sector, Toray has offered such breakthroughs as Japan's first natural interferon-ß preparation, Feron*, and the world's first orally active prostacyclin preparation, Dorner*. In order to create the innovative pharmaceuticals, Toray is furiously proceeding the genomic novel drug discovery project.
http://www.toray.co.jp
 
Contact:
Anne Hennecke, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, Evotec OAI AG, Schnackenburgallee 114, 22525 Hamburg, Germany, Phone: +49-40-56081-286, anne.hennecke@evotecoai.com

Contact:
Anne Hennecke, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, Evotec OAI AG, Schnackenburgallee 114, 22525 Hamburg, Germany, Phone: +49-40-56081-286, anne.hennecke@evotecoai.com