Solvay signs two new contracts with Evotec

Hamburg, Germany-based Evotec AG has signed two contracts with Belgium's Solvay Pharmaceuticals. In the first agreement, Evotec has been chosen as a partner for Solvay's fragment-based drug discovery efforts while the second agreement extends an existing library synthesis contract for a further 12 months, until January 1, 2008.

Solvay will access Evotec's proprietary fragment-based screening platform and fragment library to identify fragment hits against a high priority target. Evotec will produce 3-dimensional co-crystals of the fragment hits bound to the protein and then will use its track record in fragment-to-lead activities to further optimize the fragments. Evotec has validated its fragment-based drug discovery platform against various protein targets and has shown that the optimization of resulting fragment hits can be achieved in reduced timelines when compared to industry standards. Under the terms of the deal, Solvay will pay an access fee. Further financial details were not disclosed.

Evotec has been synthesizing and supplying chemical libraries to Solvay, for screening against targets in its drug discovery programs, since January 2001. According to Evotec, Solvay was impressed by its continual meeting of key delivery targets, excellent communication and project management capabilities.