Hamburg, Germany -20 October 2011: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX) and Apeiron Biologics AG today announced that they have entered into a further discovery project on the Cbl-b target, an excellent target for anti-tumor immune therapy.

Cbl-b plays a role in both the adaptive and the innate immune system and its manipulation therefore can effectively enhance anti-tumor activities both for tumor antigen-specific cells and for those recognizing general features of tumor cells.
Evotec will apply their skills and proprietary technologies in cellular assay development and ultra-high throughput screening (uHTS) to identify biologically active molecules from its corporate library that interact with Cbl-b. The aim of the collaboration will be to take compounds identified by Evotec as being active against this target or other relevant targets and further jointly optimize them as basis for formal preclinical and clinical development.

Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, commented: "We are very pleased to start a new project with Apeiron. It is strategically important to be involved in high promising early stage biotech projects."

Dr Hans Loibner, Chief Executive Officer at Apeiron Biologics, commented: "Apeiron's substantial expertise in applied immunology and cancer immunotherapy plus Evotec's remarkable skills in high-throughput methodology are an excellent basis for the successful identification and development of novel drugs that enhance the power of the immune system to combat cancer. This growing area has major clinical and commercial potential. "

No financial details are disclosed. 

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.