Evotec to collaborate with Fraunhofer in joint drug discovery programmes

Hamburg, Germany - 08 July 2014: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) announced today an exclusive strategic collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in several disease areas through the combination of the relevant platforms of both organisations for internal and external drug discovery projects.

This alliance expands Evotec's already powerful drug discovery platform with access to a broad range of complementary and highly innovative platforms and capabilities to progress own innovate projects and provides additional capabilities for customers and partners of Evotec and IME, respectively. The deal follows the joint decision of Evotec, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the City of Hamburg to integrate the European ScreeningPort GmbH into the IME thereby forming the first Fraunhofer life science institution in the City of Hamburg.

Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, commented: "We are looking forward to partner with Fraunhofer IME and are excited about the potential of this alliance. The IME has an impressive track record for product development and provides an ideal basis for collaborating with one of the strongest science organisations in Germany and beyond. This adds another footprint in Europe of our EVT Innovate programmes as we have with US based academic institutions."

Prof. Dr Rainer Fischer, Senior Executive Director at the Fraunhofer IME stated: "This collaboration constitutes a win-win situation through the project-specific combination of first-in-class capabilities. In particular, Evotec's medicinal chemistry and expertise will add value to our own, our joint and our partner's programmes. We look forward to collaborate with an experienced player in the life science industry on several layers now and in the future." 

ABOUT FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND APPLIED ECOLOGY IME

The Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME conducts research in the field of applied life sciences from a molecular level to entire ecosystems. Our interdisciplinary organization features laboratories with the state of the art infrastructure, including GMP production facilities and complex facilities for environmental simulations, allowing a wide spectrum of research and development services in the divisions of Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology. The Molecular Biology Division focuses on complex research and projects in the business fields Drugs and Biopharmaceuticals, Bioproduction and Industrial Biotechnology and Agroscience for Food and Feed. The formation of the IME-SP is fully aligned with the Fraunhofer IME mission to take innovative products closer towards the market, to develop enabling technologies and provide scientific services to partners from academic institutions and industry.

The Fraunhofer IME has approximately 600 employees working at its laboratories in Aachen, Schmallenberg, Münster, Gießen and Frankfurt as well as subsidiary research centers in the USA and in Chile. The IME enjoys close ties with the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University, the Department of Biotechnology of Plants at the University Münster, the Department of Applied Entomology at the University Gießen and the Institute for Clinical Pharmacology at the Goethe University Frankfurt.

ABOUT EUROPEAN SCREENINGPORT GMBH

European ScreeningPort is located in Hamburg and was founded in 2008 as a public private partnership. Founding shareholders include the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Evotec AG. The mission of the European ScreeningPort ("ESP") was to bridge the gap between basic academic research and the life sciences industry in the field of drug discovery and development. With state-of-the-art infrastructure at the VolksparkLabs in Hamburg, established processes and innovative technologies, ESP was able to position itself as a world-leading contract research organization for small-molecule screening, particularly for targets identified by academic partners. ESP was successful in the competitive acquisition of public joint research projects (BMBF, EU, IMI) and has already acquired full project capacity for several years to come. Focusing on applied research, ESP has developed a strong network of academic as well as pharmaceutical industry partners.

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.