Evotec has extended and expanded its medicinal chemistry collaboration with Active Biotech to advance a program that has entered lead optimization. The program aims to find small molecule modulators for a biological target selected by Active Biotech related to immune disorders and cancer. Financial details were not disclosed.

The program was initiated in 2010 with a high throughput screen followed by hit validation and hit-to-lead activities, leveraging Evotec’s hit identification and integrated medicinal chemistry platforms.

Dr. Mario Polywka, chief operating officer at Evotec, said, “We are delighted that our already successful collaboration with Active Biotech has been extended and expanded with the aim of taking this exciting program through lead optimization towards candidate nomination. This is an area where Evotec has a significant track record of success and we look forward to leveraging our expertise to assist Active Biotech in finding novel treatments addressing cancer and autoimmune disorders.”

Dorthe da Graca Thrige, director of development of Active Biotech, said, “Active Biotech strives to develop, efficiently and cost-effectively, new remedies for illnesses where today’s treatment options are inadequate, especially in the area of cancer and autoimmune diseases. It is key for us to collaborate with first-class companies and we have been very impressed with Evotec’s hit identification and subsequent hit to lead activities on this important target and now look forward to progressing the leads through to candidate drug selection.”