Evotec SE
EVOTEC INVESTS IN EXSCIENTIA TO ADVANCE AI-DRIVEN DRUG DISCOVERY
DGAP-News: Evotec AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous – EVOTEC TO INVEST EUR 15 M IN EXSCIENTIA, A PIONEER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (“AI”) IN DRUG DISCOVERY
Exscientia and Evotec have cooperated since early 2016 to advance small molecules and bispecific small molecules in immuno-oncology. The ongoing success of this partnership was the basis of this expanded and deepened corporate relationship. Exscientia is the world leader in developing and applying AI approaches specifically to design new and better therapeutic molecules in a faster and more cost-effective manner. Exscientia’s approach fuses the power of AI with the discovery experience of seasoned drug hunters and chemistry experts. This investment will enable Exscientia to drive higher value partner programmes and expand discovery on its automated design platform. Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, said: “Our investment in Exscientia represents Evotec’s single biggest equity placement to date and in, what we feel, is the world leading AI technology company. Working with Exscientia on a joint immuno-oncology project over the past year, we have experienced first-hand how its AI approaches, along with our medicinal chemistry platform, can positively and radically impact drug discovery. We are very excited about the joint potential to leverage AI in chemistry. This investment is also the first time that we can efficiently use our recently awarded EUR 75 m loan facility from the European Investment Bank to bring down cost of capital for such an investment.” Commenting on the investment, Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Exscientia, added: “Exscientia and Evotec have built a close relationship over the past year sharing mutual interest in agile innovation. We are delighted that Evotec has made this investment for a minority equity stake, allowing Exscientia to deliver more drug discovery projects in a rapid and capital efficient manner. I’m also delighted that Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, will join Exscientia’s Board of Directors, allowing us to benefit from his strong operational expertise in growing successful biotech companies.”
About Exscientia and AI-driven drug discovery The innovative platform enables breakthrough productivity gains as well as new approaches to improve drug efficacy. Novel compounds prioritised for synthesis by Exscientia’s AI systems simultaneously balance potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic criteria in order to deliver successful experimental outcomes. By applying a rapid design-make-test cycle, the Exscientia AI system actively learns from the preceding experimental results and rapidly evolves compounds towards the desired candidate criteria. Exscientia systems learn from both existing data resources and experimental data from each design cycle. The principle is similar to how a human would learn, but the AI process is far more effective at identifying and assimilating multiple subtle and complex trends to balance potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic criteria. As a result, the AI-driven process is more likely to achieve the end goal and to do this more rapidly and efficiently than traditional human endeavour. Exscientia is collaborating with several leading pharmaceutical companies. In addition to Evotec, partners include Sanofi (metabolic disease), Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (CNS) and GSK. Exscientia was established as a spinout company from Prof. Andrew Hopkins laboratory at the University of Dundee. For more information visit www.exscientia.co.uk. Follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/exscientialtd. Media enquiries: For Exscientia: ABOUT EVOTEC AG Contact Evotec AG: Gabriele Hansen, VP Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
28.09.2017 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG. |
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@evotec.com |
Internet: | www.evotec.com |
ISIN: | DE0005664809 |
WKN: | 566480 |
Indices: | TecDAX |
Listed: | Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange |
End of News | DGAP News Service |
Aktuelle News
Aktuelle Berichte
Anstehende Events
Events Funktionen
Weitere Funktionen
Webcasts
Events Funktionen
Weitere Funktionen
10
Mai 23
Evotec SE
Conference Call on the new partnership between Just – Evotec Biologics and Sandoz