Evotec Enters Partnership with Hannover Medical School to Create Molecular Patient Database in Autoimmune Diseases

• GENERATION OF LONGITUDINAL PANOMICS DATA TO IMPROVE THE DISEASE UNDERSTANDING OF SJÖGREN'S SYNDROME ("SJS") AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS ("SLE")
• HANNOVER MEDICAL SCHOOL ("MHH") WILL COLLECT BIOSAMPLES FROM SJS AND SLE PATIENTS
• EVOTEC WILL LEVERAGE ITS UNIQUE PANOMICS TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE PATIENT STRATIFICATION AND CREATE NEW ENTRY POINTS FOR PRECISION MEDICINE DRUG DISCOVERY

HAMBURG, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2022 / Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ:EVO) announced today that the Company has entered a partnership with Hannover Medical School ("MHH"), one of the leading German universities, to generate a molecular patient database for Sjögren's syndrome ("SjS") and systemic lupus erythematosus ("SLE").

The strategic partnership between Evotec and MHH aims at achieving a better disease understanding of SjS and SLE by creating a unique longitudinal PanOmics database from the analysis of patient material. Biospecimens from several hundred SjS and SLE patients will be collected by MHH and analysed on Evotec's PanOmics platform, which includes genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics as well as single-cell sequencing technologies. Together with supplementary pseudonymised patient data, these PanOmics data will feed into Evotec's proprietary translational molecular patient data platform E.MPD, which serves as the central data repository for molecular patient data.

For academic research, MHH will receive access to the data generated within the partnership by working with Evotec's AI-driven analytics software PanHunter. Evotec has the exclusive right to exploit the data commercially with its unique capabilities in the field of data-driven precision medicine. No financial terms of the collaboration were disclosed.

Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, commented: "We are excited to enter this partnership with MHH and expand Evotec's E.MPD database into autoimmune diseases. The conventional symptomatic description of many diseases stands in the way of both diagnosis and effective treatment. By leveraging PanOmics data, we are taking a deeper dive into underlying disease mechanisms. A better understanding of molecular disease mechanisms guides the identification of key disease drivers and ultimately supports the identification of new targets and the development of effective medicine."

Prof. Dr Torsten Witte, Professor of Rheumatology and Head of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at MHH, added: "So far, there are no efficacious anti-inflammatory therapies for Sjögren's syndrome and only few for SLE. The identification of inflammatory pathways contributing to the pathogenesis of the disorders would help to establish novel therapies. Since these pathways may differ interindividually, the research project by MHH and Evotec may even pave the road to individualised treatments of Sjögren's syndrome and SLE. We are therefore excited about the possibilities of the collaboration that combines the expertise of the partners from MHH in the exact clinical characterisation of the patients and from Evotec in the application of multi-omics technologies."

About Sjögren's syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus

Sjögren's Syndrome ("SjS") and systemic lupus erythematosus ("SLE") are among the most common forms of rheumatic autoimmune diseases. However, the unknown triggers and symptoms between patients makes early diagnosis of these conditions a challenging process, often spanning several years - a question also addressed by the RESIST cluster. Despite significant research activity in the field, not much is known about the causes and progression of either disease, therefore currently available treatment regimens are symptomatic and supportive.

About E.MPD

E.MPD, Evotec's translational molecular patient database, is one of the largest and highest quality molecular databases globally. Evotec's integrated technology platforms show that the best way to effectively treat disease is to identify underlying disease mechanisms and find the most suitable therapy on the basis of molecular data guiding all experimental processes towards early disease relevance. Therefore, data aggregation, integration, and the precise analysis of data is the critical path to effective and affordable medicine in the future.

E.MPD serves as the backbone for data-driven partnerships that will lead to innovative new medicines, better patient stratification, and potentially pave the way towards a new paradigm of more effective diagnostic and preventative healthcare. Through gathering and analysing patient-derived data in combination with AI/ML tools, Evotec is also able to better predict both safety and efficacy indicators in drug development.

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 leverages this "Data-driven R&D Autobahn to Cures" for proprietary projects and within a network of partners including 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 4,500 highly qualified people. The Company's 16 sites 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 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 Evotec SE:

Gabriele Hansen, SVP Head of Global Corporate Communications, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com

Hinnerk Rohwedder, Senior Specialist Corporate Communications, Tel.: +49.(0)151 4070-4843, hinnerk.rohwedder@evotec.com

IR Contact Evotec SE:

Volker Braun, SVP Head of Global Investor Relations & ESG, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-775, volker.braun@evotec.com

SOURCE: Evotec SE