HAMBURG, Germany & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and ABIVAX (Euronext Paris: FR0012333284 - ABVX) today announced a strategic collaboration to discover and develop novel treatments for multiple serious viral infectious diseases.

ABIVAX and Evotec will focus on accelerating discovery and initial development of small molecules in a capital efficient manner. ABIVAX identifies the targets and discover initial drug candidates; Evotec will leverage its industrial state-of-the-art drug discovery platform by optimising ABIVAX's candidates and performing early target development. Targets in RSV, Influenza and Dengue viral infections have already been identified by ABIVAX and are being evaluated for further development under the partnership.

ABIVAX's antiviral platform is based on its technology of inhibition mRNA biogenesis and its chemical library of more than one thousand small molecules. ABX464, ABIVAX's lead candidate in Phase II clinical trials, is based on this mode of action and is the first drug candidate ever shown to reduce HIV reservoirs in humans (http://programme.ias2017.org/Abstract/Abstract/5650).

ABIVAX carries out hit identification experiments as well as in vitro and in vivo pharmacology studies. Evotec will drive the medicinal chemistry design and

execution, additional pharmacology, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), as well as computational chemistry, mode of action and molecular target identification studies.

Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, said: "Infectious disease represents one of Evotec's core areas of focus, and we are delighted to enter into this broad-ranging and exciting partnership with ABIVAX. We are committed along with ABIVAX to driving innovation in this important field with our integrated drug discovery platform in Toulouse, France."

Professor Hartmut Ehrlich, M.D., CEO of ABIVAX, added: "We look forward to extracting further value from our antiviral discovery platform. Evotec is the ideal partner to efficiently advance these promising programmes in order to address the large unmet medical need of patients with these life-threatening and often deadly infectious diseases."

Financial details were not disclosed. Intellectual property originating from this collaboration and all commercial rights to any drug candidates will be owned by ABIVAX. This partnership will be supported, in part, by funding from the "Projets de R&D Structurants Pour la Compétitivité" (PSPC) of the "Invest in the Future Program" (PIA), a competitive award granted to ABIVAX in January 2017. The programme is supervised by the General Commissariat of Investment (Commissariat Général de l'Investissement) and operated by Bpifrance.

ABOUT ABIVAX

ABIVAX is an innovative biotechnology company focused on targeting the immune system to eliminate viral disease. To do this ABIVAX leverages three technology platforms for drug discovery: antiviral, immune enhancing and polyclonal antibodies. ABX464, its most advanced compound, is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for providing a sustained remission for patients with HIV/AIDS. It is a first-in-class oral small antiviral molecule which blocks HIV replication through a unique mechanism of action and, separately, also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, ABIVAX is advancing a clinical stage immune enhancer as well as multiple preclinical candidates against additional viral targets (i.e. Chikungunya, Ebola, Dengue); several of these compounds are planned to enter clinical development within the next 18 months. ABIVAX is listed on Euronext compartment B (ISIN: FR0012333284 - Mnémo: ABVX). More information on the company is available at WWW.ABIVAX.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, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain and inflammation, oncology and infectious diseases. 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 or UCB and development partnerships with e.g. with Sanofi in the field of diabetes, with 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170906006888/en/