Evotec and Pfizer have entered a four-year research pact to explore innovative approaches to the treatment of multi-organ fibrosis.
The licence and collaboration agreement will see Evotec contribute its drug discovery platform while Pfizer will provide key technologies and industrial scope as well as pharmaceutical development and marketing expertise.
Financial specifics of the deal weren’t revealed, but it was noted that the German biotech will receive an upfront fee from Pfizer as well potential development and sales-based milestone payments.
“We believe that Evotec’s discovery platform is well-positioned to deliver potentially innovative approaches to several areas of tissue fibrosis. We are excited about the possibilities of this agreement,” said Charles MacKay, chief scientific officer of inflammation and immunology at Pfizer.
Fibrosis is a non-physiological wound healing process that can lead to scarring and ultimately organ failure. Experts believe that around 40% of all natural deaths in the developed world can be attributed to chronic fibro-proliferative diseases, and, with the exception of Roche’s Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Boehringer’s Vargatef (nintedanib), there are no other effective therapies for the treatment of fibrosis, highlighting a huge unmet medical need in the area.
