Johnson & Johnson has signed up to use Evotec’s TargetAlloMod platform to discover what it hopes will be first-in-class therapies based on high potential cell surface targets.
The TargetAlloMod platform comprises a suite of assay principles and computational tools to assess and screen extracellular receptor targets for shedding and the induction of shedding by small molecule allosteric modulators. The platform can be applied to a broad range of therapeutic areas, the German biotech said.
Under the agreement, Evotec and J&J’s research unit Janssen will jointly screen for identified targets and collaborate on lead optimization for the most promising chemical assets, leveraging Evotec’s integrated drug discovery and development platform.
The announcement was light on other details, with no hint at the therapy areas covered in the collaboration. There was also no mention of any upfront payment, although Evotech did say it was entitled to research funding and a share of any royalties, as well as success-based research and commercial milestones of up to 210 million euros ($220 million) per project.
The deal comes a week after Janssen picked up Yumanity’s Parkinson’s disease drug YTX-7739 as well as the troubled biotech’s unpartnered pipeline of discovery-stage neuroscience candidates for $26 million upfront.