Evotec has nominated its small molecule preclinical development candidate (PDC) as it advances a programme for inflammatory skin diseases. 

The programme, developed as part of an alliance in medical dermatology with Almirall announced in 2022, will develop novel treatments for immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases with high unmet medical need. 

The programme will leverage Evotec’s fully integrated, AI/ML‑enhanced discovery and preclinical development platforms, including medicinal chemistry, DMPK, in vitro biology and development expertise within a seamless, data‑driven workflow.  

The companies claim the alliance brings together Evotec’s end‑to‑end discovery and preclinical development capabilities with Almirall’s strong expertise and commitment to advancing medical dermatology.  

Evotec will continue to support the programme toward IND submission through its INDiGO platform, an integrated, accelerated IND‑enabling platform designed to ensure a smooth transition from discovery to clinical readiness. 

“This programme’s speed and quality demonstrate the ability of our integrated, AI/ML‑enabled discovery and preclinical development platforms to produce high-value candidates for clinical evaluation,” said Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec. 

“Reaching a preclinical development candidate in such a short time validates our approach to data‑driven, end‑to‑end drug discovery and exemplifies what can be achieved when scientific excellence is paired with a highly collaborative partnership such as our work with the dermatology expert Almirall.  

“We are proud of the work accomplished by our teams and look forward to progressing this promising programme toward the clinic.”