Evotec joins Harvard and HHMI in diabetes drug discovery
Collaboration will initially identify targets that regulate beta cell replication
Evotec, a German developer of small molecule drugs, is to collaborate with Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in the US on the discovery of new diabetes drugs.
The initial goal of the collaboration is to identify and develop physiological mechanisms and targets that regulate beta cell replication. Therapies that trigger/support beta cell replication are expected to enhance or even restore the body's ability to produce sufficient insulin to maintain optimal glycemic control and thereby reduce and prevent the development of diabetic complications.
Cord Dohrmann, Evotec’s chief scientific officer said the collaboration would lead to the development of a pipeline of drug candidates in diabetes.
‘Existing therapies have proven largely ineffective against the progression of most degenerative diseases including diabetes. We are enthusiastic about exploring new mechanisms that have the potential to restore beta cell function and produce first-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of diabetes in collaboration with Harvard and HHMI,’ he added.
Further details and commercial terms of the cooperation have not been disclosed.