Novel PCOS drug target from Celmatix-Evotec Alliance, identified by Celmatix, progresses into hit-identification

Celmatix Inc., a biotechnology company focused on ovarian biology, today announced that a third milestone has been achieved in its five-year, multi-target alliance with Evotec. The milestone was triggered by Evotec and Bayer AG advancing a drug program, centered around a novel Celmatix-identified drug target, into hit-identification.

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of women are struggling with PCOS, the most common endocrine disorder in premenopausal women. While the underlying cause of PCOS is largely unknown, genomic studies suggest a strong genetic connection.

Celmatix founder and CEO, Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim, remarked, "We are confident that the proprietary data in our in-silico discovery platform, paired with our team’s deep expertise in female biology, will unlock novel biological insights and drive innovation in women’s health therapeutic development. The independent validation of our first novel drug target by Evotec and Bayer is a significant proof point of our precision approach to genomics and of the power of our platform, particularly the clinical data from PCOS patients within our Personalized Reproductive Medicine (PReM) Initiative consortium research cohort who were discovered to carry novel mutations in a gene that had multiple lines of evidence suggesting involvement in the pathophysiology of PCOS. These study participants demonstrated specific phenotypes matching the proposed mechanism of action for this program. Without the many centers in our PReM consortium collecting specimens and vast amounts of clinical data through our multi-year research study, this discovery would not have been possible.”

This announcement comes on the heels of the acquisition of Finland-based Forendo Pharmaceuticals by Organon last month, yet another example of the rising tide in women’s health drug development.

About Celmatix

Celmatix Inc. is a preclinical-stage women’s health biotech focused uniquely on ovarian biology. With a lead “pipeline-in-a-pill” AMHR2 agonist program focused on ovarian senescence, and collaborations in PCOS and non-hormonal contraception with industry leaders, Celmatix is addressing areas of high unmet need by developing the next generation of interventions and pioneering advancements in ovarian health. Celmatix’s proprietary multi-omic ovarian health platform, the world’s largest of its kind, is the foundation of the company’s novel pipeline of first-in-class therapies. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.celmatix.com.

About the Personalized Reproductive Medicine (PReM) Initiative

Launched by Celmatix in 2015, the PReM Initiative brings together an unprecedented consortium of leading academic research institutions and clinical centers in the United States engaging in a multi-center research study with the goal of leveraging AI and genomics to better understand the reproductive challenges faced by millions of people around the world.

About Evotec SE

Evotec is a life science company with a unique business model that delivers on its mission to discover and develop highly effective therapeutics and make them available to the patients. The Company’s multimodality platform comprises a unique combination of innovative technologies, data and science for the discovery, development, and production of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products. Evotec leverages this “Data-driven R&D Autobahn to Cures” for proprietary projects and within a network of partners including all Top 20 Pharma and over 800 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, as well as other healthcare stakeholders. Evotec has strategic activities in a broad range of currently underserved therapeutic areas, including e.g. neurology, oncology, as well as metabolic and infectious diseases. Within these areas of expertise, Evotec aims to create the world-leading co-owned pipeline for innovative therapeutics and has to-date established a portfolio of more than 200 proprietary and co-owned R&D projects from early discovery to clinical development. Evotec operates globally with more than 4,000 highly qualified people. The Company’s 14 sites offer highly synergistic technologies and services and operate as complementary clusters of excellence. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @Evotec and LinkedIn.

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