HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evotec AG (Frankfurt:EVT) (TecDAX) (ISIN:DE0005664809) and the Jain Foundation today announced that they have extended and expanded their research collaboration leveraging Evotec's assay development and screening capabilities to support the Jain Foundation's goals of understanding and curing dysferlinopathy.
Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, commented: "We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Jain Foundation on this project. This collaboration highlights both the increasing role that foundations play in delivering solutions for unmet medical needs and also how Evotec's broad and comprehensive discovery platform can be leveraged in support of these goals in a highly efficient and effective manner."
Dr Plavi Mittal, President and CEO of the Jain Foundation added: "We are excited to be moving toward screening compound libraries with Evotec. This is an important step toward accomplishing our mission of finding a therapy for Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B /Miyoshi Myopathy (LGMD2B/MM)."
No financial details were disclosed.
ABOUT THE EVOTEC AND JAIN FOUNDATION COLLABORATION
In 2012, Evotec and the Jain foundation initiated a research project to develop a cell-based high throughput screening assay using dysferlin deficient cells. The aim of this project is to develop a simple test for the well-being of a muscle cell in the absence of dysferlin so that compounds that improve the well-being of dysferlin deficient muscle cells can be identified.
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. We operate worldwide providing the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery solutions, covering all activities from target-to-clinic. 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, pain, metabolic diseases as well as oncology and inflammation. Evotec has long-term discovery alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, CHDI, Genentech, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, MedImmune/AstraZeneca and Ono Pharmaceutical. In addition, the Company has existing development partnerships and product candidates both in clinical and pre-clinical development. These include partnerships with Boehringer Ingelheim, MedImmune and Andromeda (Teva) in the field of diabetes, with Janssen Pharmaceuticals in the field of depression and with Roche in the field of Alzheimer's disease. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com
ABOUT JAIN FOUNDATION
The Jain Foundation, located in Bellevue Washington, USA, is a privately funded not-for-profit focused on finding a therapy for muscular dystrophies caused by dysferlin deficiency (LGMD2B/Miyoshi Myopathy).
ABOUT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of diseases that produce muscle weakness. Muscular dystrophies all involve abnormalities of the muscle cells themselves, rather than the nerves that control the muscles. All muscular dystrophies are caused by genetic mutations.
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy refers to a group of diseases (not a single disease) which were lumped together, long before the era of molecular biology and genetic engineering, because they shared some common clinical symptoms. The name refers to the first muscles to show symptoms, which are those around the shoulders and the hips.
Myopathy simply means "muscle disease." Miyoshi Myopathy (MM) is a form of muscular dystrophy that was first described in the medical literature by Miyoshi in 1967. Although first identified in Japan, it occurs worldwide. Miyoshi is caused by defects in the gene for the protein dysferlin.
Dysferlin is a protein made from the dysferlin gene that, when mutated or absent, causes both Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 2B and Miyoshi Myopathy.
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 report. 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.