Evotec has announced a collaboration with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation to advance drug discovery and develop new therapies for IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

The collaboration between Evotec and the foundation's IBD therapeutics incubator programme aims to translate academic research into medical innovations for patients with IBD, a debilitating chronic medical condition.

The programme fosters partnerships between the foundation, academic researchers and industry partners.

The partnership will leverage Evotec's end-to-end integrated research and development platform to advance the development of drugs for fibrosis and impaired intestinal barrier function, two significant unmet medical needs for IBD patients.

Evotec chief business officer Dr Matthias Evers stated: “Mission-driven foundations like the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation are an essential part of the healthcare ecosystem as they drive medical progress in areas of significant unmet need that would otherwise not be pursued.

“As we join forces within the foundation in this second collaboration, we are fully aligned on our mission to create access to novel therapeutics and look forward to leveraging both Evotec’s translational experience as well as our fully integrated drug discovery powerhouse within the foundation’s IBD therapeutics incubator.”

Nearly one in 100 Americans are affected by IBD, a chronic condition characterised by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe and may develop suddenly or gradually. Despite current treatments, many patients with Crohn's disease may require surgery during their lifetime.

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is dedicated to finding cures for IBD and enhancing the quality of life for those affected. It has invested $500m in research.

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation translational research and IBD ventures senior vice-president Andrés Hurtado Lorenzo stated: “We are excited about this collaboration with Evotec as part of the Foundation’s IBD therapeutics incubator because it will transform ideas to therapeutic product opportunities and scientific research into patient solutions.

“We are actually driving research from idea to therapeutic product opportunity.”

In 2023, Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb expanded their strategic partnership to develop a broadened neurodegenerative diseases programme pipeline.