Evotec and Owkin enter a strategic partnership to accelerate oncology and I&I therapeutics with AI
Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) and Owkin, a French-American techbio company today announced an A.I.-powered integrated multi-target collaboration in oncology, immunology and inflammation (“I&I”).
The collaboration brings together highly complementary platforms and expertise to accurately select targets, discover and develop new therapeutics. Harmonising Owkin’s cutting-edge target discovery engine with Evotec’s end-to-end shared R&D platforms and disease biology expertise will accelerate Owkin’s novel programmes from the discovery phase to the clinic.
Owkin will identify indication-relevant targets and subgroups using AI applied to multimodal patient data. Evotec will leverage its shared R&D platform to accelerate and de-risk the validation of targets, identification of drug candidates and successful completion of pre-clinical development activities up to IND. An Owkin-Evotec joint Research Strategy Team formed of highly experienced drug hunters will drive the collaboration, designing fully tailored strategic programme plans from target selection to IND and ensuring delivery of the programmes. The partnership also enables Owkin to maximise capital efficiency while reducing risk. Evotec will receive R&D funding from Owkin and is eligible to earn performance milestone payments and royalties on product sales.
Dr Matthias Evers, Chief Business Officer of Evotec, commented:
Owkin and Evotec both feel there is something special brewing by convergence between A.I. and science in drug innovation – hence, we are thrilled to strike this partnership towards accelerating therapeutics in therapeutic areas of highest unmet needs – patients need us, together.
Dr Thomas Clozel, Co-founder and CEO of Owkin, remarked:
The combination of in silico hypothesis generation through AI and experimental lab validation is the core of our pipeline strategy. Evotec’s broad capabilities in drug discovery, which range all the way from target validation through to IND-enabling studies, coupled with their understanding of artificial intelligence and its implementation in their workflows make them an ideal partner for us.
About Owkin
Owkin is building the first universal AI co-pilot called K to lay the foundation for Biological Artificial Superintelligence (BASI). This co-pilot integrates a suite of AI agents that decode complex biology, accelerate research, and dramatically increase productivity. Acting as copilots, Owkin K agents will automate drug discovery and diagnostics and power next-generation pharma companies.
Owkin K will be powered by the world’s largest federated multimodal patient data network, a robotized lab, leading AGI technologies, and cutting-edge multimodal foundation models and LLMs.
