Evotec and Roche join forces against Alzheimer’s

Evotec AG and Roche AG have entered into an exclusive worldwide agreement for the development and commercialisation of Evotec’s MAO-B inhibitor in patients with Alzheimer’s.

Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay Evotec an upfront fee of $10million, and initiate studies in 2012 to demonstrate proof of concept. They will also be responsible for all clinical development, manufacturing and commercialisation activities.

Evotec may also receive further development and milestone payments of up to $820 million, as well as tiered, double-digit royalties on sales.

“We are delighted to have Roche as our strategic partner to fight Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr Werner Lanthaler, CEO of Evotec. “Their outstanding commitment to pharmaceutical innovation makes Roche the ideal partner to fight one of the biggest healthcare problems of our times.”

Evotec’s compound – EVT 302 – is a novel, potent inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B), which breaks down dopamine in the brain and contributes to the production of free radicals. These free radicals are known to cause oxidative stress which may contribute to pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s.

“Roche is committed to bringing innovative treatments to patients suffering from devastating neurodegenerative diseases, and is developing a number of approaches to tackle Alzheimer’s,” said Jean-Jacques Garaud, head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development. “The addition of EVT 302 to our CNS pipeline complements other approaches we are investigating, including tau- and amyloid- targeted therapies.”