DGAP-News: Evotec announces TargetAD collaboration with Johnson&Johnson Innovation to identify and develop novel Alzheimer's disease therapies
(firmenpresse) - DGAP-News: Evotec AG / Key word(s): Alliance
Evotec announces TargetAD collaboration with Johnson&Johnson
Innovation to identify and develop novel Alzheimer's disease therapies
08.11.2013 / 07:17
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Collaborative effort will explore genes dysregulated in Alzheimer's
disease patients to identify new targets for drug discovery and development
Hamburg, Germany - 08 November 2013: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange:
EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced a collaboration with the
Johnson&Johnson Innovation Center in California to identify new targets
for Alzheimer's disease drug discovery and development. Under the terms of
the agreement, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ('Janssen'), a member of the
Johnson&Johnson family of companies, and Evotec will work together to
discover and develop novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
Termed TargetAD (Alzheimer's disease), the collaboration will seek to
identify new drug targets for discovery of novel treatment approaches to
Alzheimer's disease ('AD'). Janssen will fund target discovery research via
a combination of defined research payments and progress-related milestones
over the next three years.
Janssen will have the opportunity to internalise selected targets and
therapeutic candidates from the TargetAD database and progress them into
pre-clinical and clinical development. Janssen will reimburse up to $ 10
million in FTE-based research costs and make pre-clinical, clinical,
regulatory and commercial payments up to a maximum of between approximately
$ 125 million to $ 145 million per programme upon achieving agreed-upon
milestones. In addition, Evotec will receive royalties on future sales of
any products that may result from the alliance.
Evotec's proprietary TargetAD database provides a unique source of
potentially novel Alzheimer's disease drug targets derived from the
analysis of dysregulated genes in high-quality and well-characterised human
brain tissues representing all stages of disease progression as well as
control tissues from non-demented subjects. Identifying new targets for
drug development based on disease pathology may have the potential to
impact the disease at its earliest stages, resulting in greater therapeutic
benefit to patients.
Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, added: 'The TargetAD
alliance provides a systematic and comprehensive approach to the discovery
of novel drug AD targets which leverages Evotec's strength in neuroscience
discovery with Janssen's pre-clinical and clinical drug development
capabilities for the discovery of novel treatments for Alzheimer's
disease.'
ABOUT EVOTEC'S TARGETAD DATABASE
The TargetAD database is a customised system providing unique information
on the link between molecular and cellular changes in brain tissue with AD
progression. This database was set up in a multi-year research programme,
applying histological, cellular and in vivo target validation procedures.
The database provides a strong foundation for systematic collaborative
target validation and compound discovery programmes.
ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease. It
slowly destroys brain cells and nerves and thus disrupts the transmitters
which carry messages in thebrain, particularly those responsible for
storing memories. The disease is named after the German psychiatrist and
neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer who described the first case of presenile
dementia. The cause and progression of AD are still not completely
understood. Conducted research indicates that the disease is associated
with plaques and tangles in the brain. In the course of AD, the brain
shrinks as gaps develop in the temporal lobe and hippocampus, which are
responsible for storing and retrieving new information. Like other chronic
conditions, scientists believe that AD doesn't have one predominant cause
but is rather a complex result of various factors. At the moment, there is
no cure available for AD and most other causes for dementia. Current
treatments only tackle the symptoms of the disease. According to the World
Alzheimer Report 2012 published by Alzheimer's Disease International, there
were 36 million people diagnosed with dementia in 2010 worldwide.
Approximately 7.7 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed each year.
Concerning the dementia market volume, $ 604 bn were spent on the treatment
of dementia in 2010. All in all, these costs equal about 1% of the world's
GDP (average of GDP from countries worldwide).
ABOUT EVOTEC AG
Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company
focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We operate worldwide providing
the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery solutions,
covering all activities from target-to-clinic. The Company has established
a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and
integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience
and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuroscience, pain,
metabolic diseases as well as oncology and inflammation. Evotec has
long-term discovery alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer
Ingelheim, CHDI, Genentech, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, MedImmune/AstraZeneca
and Ono Pharmaceutical. In addition, the Company has existing development
partnerships and product candidates both in clinical and pre-clinical
development. These include partnerships with Boehringer Ingelheim,
MedImmune and Andromeda (Teva) in the field of diabetes, with Janssen
Pharmaceuticals in the field of depression and with Roche in the field of
Alzheimer's disease. For additional information please go to
www.evotec.com.
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.
Contact Evotec AG:
Gabriele Hansen, Head of Corporate Communications, Phone:
+49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen(at)evotec.com
End of Corporate News
---------------------------------------------------------------------
08.11.2013 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
company of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Company: Evotec AG
Manfred Eigen Campus / Essener Bogen 7
22419 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)40 560 81-0
Fax: +49 (0)40 560 81-222
E-mail: info(at)evotec.com
Internet: www.evotec.com
ISIN: DE0005664809
WKN: 566480
Indices: TecDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover,
München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------
238722 08.11.2013
Themen in dieser Pressemitteilung:
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 08.11.2013 - 07:17 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 314277
Anzahl Zeichen: 10841
contact information:
Kategorie:
Business News
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 409 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"DGAP-News: Evotec announces TargetAD collaboration with Johnson&Johnson Innovation to identify and develop novel Alzheimer's disease therapies"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
Evotec AG (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
