Evotec SE announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded its Seattle, WA-based subsidiary, Just – Evotec Biologics, Inc., an agreement worth $28.6 million for the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for use in the development of a treatment and/or prophylaxis for COVID-19.
 
The DOD’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) is executing this effort in coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD(HA)) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA).
 
Under the agreement, the DOD will have access to manufacturing capacity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs and priority access to future biomanufacturing capacity over a period of seven years in the soon-to-be-completed J.POD facility in Redmond, Washington. The agreement represents the continuation of DOD’s collaboration with Just – Evotec Biologics. The collaboration started in July of 2020 and involved the selection of anti-SARS-CoV2 mAbs, resulting in rapid process development and manufacture of high yielding mAbs against SARS-CoV-2.
 
“It is an honor to extend our relationship with the DOD in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James Thomas, executive vice president, global head biotherapeutics, Just – Evotec Biologics. “Our technologies and expertise in molecule optimization, process and product development, and manufacturing are well suited to rapidly support the DOD’s needs for COVID-19 and other infectious disease threats.”
 
Craig Johnstone, chief operating officer, Evotec, said, “Evotec continues to be committed to the global fight against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and actively promotes future pandemic preparedness by adding novel therapeutic antibodies to our toolbox. In our collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense we were able to select anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs and develop a high-yielding production process in as little as six months. We are honored to continue with the production of the mAb as one of the Advanced Defense service providers to the DOD.”