Evotec and Novo Nordisk Expand LAB eN² Program and Select First Projects to Advance Cardiometabolic Research

Evotec and Novo Nordisk Expand LAB eN² Program and Select First Projects to Advance Cardiometabolic Research

(IN BRIEF) Evotec and Novo Nordisk’s LAB eN² program, a translational drug discovery accelerator, has selected its first three academic research projects focused on addressing cardiometabolic diseases. The projects, from Boston University, Harvard University in collaboration with Mass General Brigham, and the Joslin Diabetes Center, target chronic kidney disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 1 diabetes. LAB eN² is also expanding, adding Boston Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, and other institutions to foster more innovative research. By combining Evotec’s R&D platform with Novo Nordisk’s disease expertise, LAB eN² bridges the gap between academic science and therapeutic development.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, 11-Dec-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, SDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) has announced significant progress within its LAB eN² initiative, a translational drug discovery accelerator launched in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. The program, designed to advance early-stage academic research into innovative therapeutic candidates, has selected its first three projects from Boston University, Harvard University in partnership with Mass General Brigham, and the Joslin Diabetes Center. LAB eN² is also expanding its academic reach, welcoming Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Joslin Diabetes Center, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as new participating institutions.

The selected projects focus on tackling critical cardiometabolic conditions.

• Boston University’s research team, led by Drs. Victoria Herrera and Nelson Ruiz-Opazo, along with collaborators Drs. Sushrut Waikar and Joel Henderson, is exploring the role of inflammation in cardiometabolic diseases. Their initial focus is on chronic kidney disease (CKD) with secondary applications to obesity.
• Harvard University’s project, spearheaded by Dr. Sloan Devlin in collaboration with Dr. Eric Sheu of Mass General Brigham, investigates molecular mechanisms linked to bariatric surgery, aiming to identify potential modulators for treating metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
• Joslin Diabetes Center’s project, under the leadership of Dr. Peng Yi, seeks to address type 1 diabetes by targeting autoimmune responses with novel therapeutic strategies.

Each of these projects will receive a Discovery Award to reach pre-clinical milestones. If successful, they may qualify for additional funding up to the IND application stage, with Novo Nordisk retaining the option to further develop and license specific programs.

Expansion of LAB eN²
In addition to advancing these groundbreaking projects, LAB eN² is broadening its scope by incorporating five new academic partners. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Icahn Mount Sinai will now have the opportunity to submit proposals to the accelerator. This expansion aligns with the program’s mission to bridge the gap between academic research and drug discovery by leveraging Evotec’s integrated R&D platform and Novo Nordisk’s expertise in cardiometabolic diseases.

Dr. Thomas Hanke, EVP & Head of Academic Partnerships at Evotec, commented: “We are thrilled to move forward with these first projects and welcome new institutions to LAB eN². This program is an ideal platform to translate cutting-edge academic science into innovative therapeutic candidates, addressing areas of significant unmet medical need.”

Uli Stilz, Head of Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub, added: “The scientific potential uncovered through LAB eN² has been exceptional. The first projects represent novel approaches to chronic cardiometabolic conditions, and we are excited to collaborate with leading investigators to push these ideas closer to clinical application. With the addition of new institutions, we can amplify the program’s impact and nurture even more innovative solutions.”

About LAB eN²
LAB eN² was launched in September 2023 by Evotec and Novo Nordisk in partnership with four academic institutions—Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Yale School of Medicine, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The program offers funding and resources to design robust drug discovery initiatives and identify therapeutic candidates across various modalities, with a focus on advancing cardiometabolic disease research. Through its expansion, LAB eN² strengthens its mission of translating academic discoveries into impactful treatments.

About Evotec SE
Evotec is a life science company with a unique business model that delivers on its mission to discover and develop highly effective therapeutics and make them available to the patients. The Company’s multimodality platform comprises a unique combination of innovative technologies, data and science for the discovery, development, and production of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products. Evotec provides high value pipeline co-creating partnerships and solutions to all Top 20 Pharma and over 800 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, as well as other healthcare stakeholders. Evotec has strategic activities in a broad range of currently underserved therapeutic areas, including e.g. neurology, oncology, as well as metabolic and infectious diseases. Within these areas of expertise, Evotec aims to create the world-leading co-owned pipeline for innovative therapeutics and has to-date established a portfolio of more than 200 proprietary and co-owned R&D projects from early discovery to clinical development. Evotec operates globally with more than 5,000 highly qualified people. The Company’s sites in Europe and the USA offer highly synergistic technologies and services and operate as complementary clusters of excellence. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on X/Twitter @Evotec and LinkedIn.

Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning future events, including the proposed offering and listing of Evotec’s securities. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “should,” “target,” “would” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include comments regarding Evotec’s expectations for revenues, Group EBITDA and unpartnered R&D expenses. These forward-looking statements are based on the information available to, and the expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by Evotec at the time these statements were made. No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Evotec. Evotec expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Evotec’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Media Contact:

email: info@evotec.com
Tel: +49 40 560 81 0

SOURCE: Evotec