DGAP-News

Evotec and Sernova announce exclusive strategic partnership for iPSC-based beta cell replacement therapy to advance a 'functional cure' for diabetes

DGAP-News: Evotec SE / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Evotec and Sernova announce exclusive strategic partnership for iPSC-based beta cell replacement therapy to advance a 'functional cure' for diabetes 17.05.2022 / 07:30 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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• PARTNERSHIP LEVERAGES IPSC-BASED BETA CELLS FROM EVOTEC’S QRBETA INITIATIVE COMBINED WITH SERNOVA’S PROPRIETARY IMPLANTABLE CELL POUCH DEVICE
• THE GOAL IS THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALISATION OF AN OFF-THE-SHELF BETA CELL REPLACEMENT THERAPY FOR INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES
• EVOTEC MAKES STRATEGIC € 20 M EQUITY INVESTMENT IN SERNOVA
• EVOTEC/SERNOVA JOINT CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST AT 8.30 AM EDT MAY 17, 2022

Hamburg, Germany, and London, ON, Canada, 17 May 2022:
Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) and Sernova Corp. (TSX-V: SVA; OTCQB: SEOVF; FSE: PSH), a clinical-stage company and leader in regenerative medicine cell therapeutics today announced a partnership in the field of diabetes. Both Companies will leverage their respective strengths to develop an implantable iPSC-based beta cell replacement therapy for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes, including type 1 and 2.

The partnership leverages iPSC-based beta cells from Evotec’s QRbeta initiative. Evotec reliably produces human iPSC-based beta cells in islet-like clusters in a quality controlled (“QC”) scalable bioreactor process. Those islet-like clusters are functionally equivalent to primary human islets in their ability to normalise blood glucose levels in in vivo models over several months.

Evotec’s iPSC-based beta cells will be combined with Sernova’s proprietary Cell Pouch, which is the leading implantable and scalable medical device in its class. In particular, it enables vascularisation of the cell implant and thus ensures long-term survival and optimal function in patients. The combination of primary donor islets and Cell Pouch has achieved long-lasting therapeutic results in patients enrolled in Sernova’s US-based Phase I/II clinical trial, including sustained insulin-independence in high-risk Type 1 Diabetes patients who previously required insulin injections for survival. Moreover, Sernova will evaluate local immune protection technology to protect non-modified beta cells and avoid the requirement for immunosuppressive treatment. The goal of the partnership is the development of an off-the-shelf iPSC-based beta cell replacement therapy device for the treatment of patients living with insulin-dependent diabetes.