The $300 million deal aligns a comprehensive list of contract discovery and development services.
Seeking to create a more competitive and comprehensive offering in pursuit of growth and new markets, Evotec AG announced a $300 million deal to acquire Aptuit, a UK-based CRO known for its highly developed portfolio of discovery and development services. The transaction, said Evotec, will strengthen its position as a global provider of “external innovation” solutions, a term the company uses to describe the contract research and development services it delivers to the industry globally.
Describing Aptuit as a “partner research organization,” Evotec said the drug discovery and development solutions provider offered “synergistic scientific expertise” that will enhance and expand the combined companies’ portfolios and fuel business opportunities to “further accelerate Evotec's long-term strategy to be the industry partner of choice for external innovation.”
"Bringing together two major players in the drug discovery industry,” said Evotec CEO Dr. Werner Lanthaler, “is a big step forward for Evotec to expand our unique focus in external innovation for Pharma, biotech and foundations. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the employees of Aptuit within the Evotec Group after closing of the transaction."
Evotec explained that its value proposition is centered on delivering pre-clinical development candidates and that the acquisition of Aptuit will not only greatly grow its business but extend its value-chain offering “through Investigational New Drug (IND) submission and beyond.” According to Evotec, Aptuit’s INDIGO® platform, for example, will help accelerate IND submissions of partnered products.
With the acquisition, Evotec said it accrues a number of benefits including the ability to move from target to IND, a stronger expanded list of solutions, as well as access to Aptuit’s customers, who are likely, said the company, to benefit from Evotek’s EVT Innovate development platform.
Aptuit CEO Jonathan Goldman concluded: "I am delighted that Aptuit's unique value proposition of world-class scientists have combined with the Evotec team to create a best-in-class company. The operational management team and I look forward to continuing to offer customers an expanded set of solutions in discovery as part of the Evotec family as well as providing an end-to-end solution in candidate to IND (INDiGO) and Phase I to commercial integrated CMC needs. Our customers and staff can be reassured by the continuity of leadership and commitment by Evotec to invest in planned growth."