HAMBURG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced that it has expanded its CRISPR service offering with the addition of a licence from ERS Genomics Limited. With this licence, Evotec gains access to the leading technology for gene editing, thereby complementing and expanding its existing service offering in the CRISPR gene editing space.

The new licence from ERS Genomics Limited complements and expands Evotec's existing CRISPR licences through the Broad Institute with gene editing technology from Emmanuelle Charpentier and others.

Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, commented: "Obtaining this new licence from ERS Genomics is the latest example of Evotec's investment in gene editing technologies. Together with our world-leading iPSC and phenotypic screening platforms, the continued expansion of CRISPR-based technologies at Evotec provides our partners with a unique solution for the identification of novel disease modifying genes."

Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS, commented: "We're thrilled to add Evotec to our growing list of licensees of CRISPR-Cas9 technology. As one of the world's leading providers of customised research solutions it's very gratifying to see Evotec actively expanding its use of the technology across several key areas."

About Evotec's CRISPR offering CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a naturally occurring bacterial immune system. Researchers have harnessed this system as a genome editing tool for mammalian cells. Evotec has multiple licences to this technology through ERS Genomics and the Broad Institute for the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology.

Evotec uses the CRISPR technology to drive its target identification platform as well as aid the deconvolution of targets from phenotypic screening. With the integration of genome-wide arrayed CRISPR libraries into Evotec's screening platforms, Evotec is harnessing the power of gene deletion and human, cell-based disease models to identify novel targets for downstream drug discovery programmes.

ABOUT ERS GENOMICS LIMITED

ERS Genomics was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property held by Dr Emmanuelle Charpentier. Non-exclusive licences are available for research and sale of products and services across multiple fields including: research tools, kits, reagents; discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention; cell lines for discovery and screening of novel drug candidates; GMP production of healthcare products; production of industrial materials such as enzymes, biofuels and chemicals; and synthetic biology. For additional information please visit www.ersgenomics.com.

ABOUT EVOTEC

AG Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide providing the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery solutions, covering all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery (EVT Execute). The Company has established a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuroscience, infectious diseases, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain, inflammation, and oncology and. On this basis, Evotec has built a broad and deep pipeline of more than 80 partnered product opportunities at clinical, pre-clinical and discovery stages (EVT Innovate). Evotec has established multiple long-term discovery alliances with partners including Bayer, CHDI, Sanofi and UCB and development partnerships with e.g. Sanofi in the field of diabetes, Pfizer in the field of tissue fibrosis and Celgene in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. For additional information, please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @EvotecAG.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

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