Evotec OAI Successfully Completes Assay Development Programme with ALTANA

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\r\nEvotec OAI Successfully Completes Assay Development Programme with ALTANA\r\n
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\r\n· Second collaboration milestone achieved\r\n
\r\n· Evotec OAI’s cell analyzer \“Opera\“ to be integrated into ALTANA Pharma’s drug\r\n
\r\n discovery platform\r\n
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\r\nHamburg, Germany | Abingdon, UK – Evotec OAI AG, Hamburg, Germany (Neuer Markt:\r\n
\r\nEVT), a partner for integrated high-value-added drug discovery to the\r\n
\r\npharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced today the successful\r\n
\r\ncompletion of its assay development programme with ALTANA Pharma AG, Konstanz,\r\n
\r\nGermany.\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\n“;“In close collaboration with scientists at ALTANA Pharma Evotec OAI has developed\r\n
\r\n a new and complex assay programme using Evotec OAI’s novel confocal imaging\r\n
\r\nreader for fast high-content cell analysis (\“Opera\“). In March Evotec OAI passed\r\n
\r\n the first milestone by successfully demonstrating a novel assay principle.\r\n
\r\nPhase II, the assay optimisation, has now been completed which is proving Evotec\r\n
\r\n OAI’s expertise in miniaturised assay development and related technology\r\n
\r\ndevelopments. ALTANA Pharma will receive the cell analyzer \“Opera\“ by the end of\r\n
\r\n the year and will integrate it into their discovery unit. As a result of an\r\n
\r\nexcellent collaboration to date, ALTANA Pharma decided to commission Evotec OAI\r\n
\r\nto add additional fea-tures to the device, further enhancing the capabilities of\r\n
\r\n the instrument.\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\nJoern Aldag, President and Chief Executive Officer of Evotec OAI, said: \“We are\r\n
\r\npleased to have completed this challenging programme with excellent results and\r\n
\r\nto have contributed innovative tools to our partner’s drug discovery efforts.\r\n
\r\nThis collaboration validates our world class expertise in developing novel drug\r\n
\r\ndiscovery solutions tailored to our customers‘ research needs.\“\r\n
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\r\nDr. U. Thibaut, ALTANA Pharma’s Vice President of Discovery Research, said: \“Our\r\n
\r\n partnership with Evotec OAI is highly satisfactory. The communication in this\r\n
\r\nimportant collaboration is open and the scientific standards of the project are\r\n
\r\nvery high. The assay development programme we started together with Evotec OAI\r\n
\r\nwas highly successful and will help us to further reduce assay development times\r\n
\r\n significantly. In addition, the programme also demonstrated the excellent\r\n
\r\nperformance of the \“Opera\“ reader, which will be integrated into one of our HTS\r\n
\r\nsystems.\“\r\n
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\r\nAbout Evotec OAI AG\r\n
\r\nEvotec OAI offers a comprehensive range of high-value added services and prod-\r\n
\r\nucts required to increase the efficiency and at the same time reduce the risk in\r\n
\r\n the identification of new drugs. By integrating proprietary state-of-the-art\r\n
\r\ntechnologies and processes in biology, chemistry and screening, the Company has\r\n
\r\nestablished a unique position for all the critical elements in the drug\r\n
\r\ndiscovery and development process – from target to clinical development. Due to\r\n
\r\nits extensive know how and experience Evotec OAI is the ideal partner for pharma\r\n
\r\n and biotech companies world-wide. To date, Evotec OAI has completed over 1,200\r\n
\r\nprojects with 150 companies, including all of the top 20 global pharmaceutical\r\n
\r\ncompanies and major biotechs.\r\n
\r\nThe Company employs more than 600 people, primarily at its two main sites at\r\n
\r\nHamburg in Germany and Abingdon in the UK. Subsidiaries are located in Europe\r\n
\r\nand North America. In 2001 Evotec OAI achieved revenues of EUR 63.2 million.\r\n
\r\nEvotec OAI shares are listed on the Neuer Markt of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange\r\n
\r\nsince November 1999 (NM: EVT).\r\n
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\r\nAbout ALTANA Pharma AG\r\n
\r\nALTANA AG (NYSE:AAA) is an international pharmaceuticals and chemicals Group\r\n
\r\nwith sales of EUR 2.3 billion in 2001 and over 9,000 employees all around the\r\n
\r\nworld. It is the strategic management holding company of the ALTANA Group,\r\n
\r\ncomprising two operating Divisions, ALTANA Pharma AG and ALTANA Chemie AG.\r\n
\r\nThe pharmaceutical division ALTANA Pharma AG is an international Group with\r\n
\r\naround 30 subsidiaries and affiliates in Europe, the Americas, South Africa,\r\n
\r\nAustra-lia and Asia. ALTANA Pharma AG concentrates on therapeutics, imaging\r\n
\r\n(contrast media), in-vitro diagnostics and OTC medication, and focuses on\r\n
\r\ninnovative pharmaceutical research (gastroenterology, respiratory, oncology).\r\n
\r\nIn 2001, ALTANA Pharma AG achieved sales of EUR 1.6 billion, i.e. up 26% year-\r\n
\r\non-year.\r\n
\r\nTherapeutics, the most important area of business, is based on prescription\r\n
\r\ndrugs for respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal indications.\r\n
\r\nPantoprazole, used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, is ALTANA Pharma’s best-\r\n
\r\nselling drug, generating worldwide sales of EUR 1.3 billion in 2001.\r\n
\r\nALTANA Pharma AG employs around 7,500 people worldwide, of which around 3,000\r\n
\r\nwork in Germany.\r\n
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