Evotec wins Gates Foundation grant for AI-enabled antibody design

Evotec SE (NASDAQ:EVO) announced that its Seattle-based subsidiary, Just – Evotec Biologics, has received a new grant (INV072135) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the development of affordable biologics for low- and middle-income countries.

The funding will support ten projects over a three-year period, utilizing the company’s proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning platforms.

The initiative leverages the J.MD™ molecular design suite, a core component of the J.DESIGN™ platform, to optimize monoclonal antibodies and other biologic modalities.

By focusing on critical factors such as titer, pharmacokinetics, and stability, the partnership aims to enhance manufacturability and reduce the cost of goods—historically a major barrier to distributing advanced therapies in developing regions.

This latest investment builds on a decade-long relationship between the Gates Foundation and the Just – Evotec team.

Since 2014, the collaboration has successfully delivered cGMP manufacturing campaigns for antibodies targeting major global health threats, including RSV, malaria, and HIV.

The new project slate will focus on improving the "developability" of candidate molecules from the earliest stages to limit liabilities like immunogenicity and instability.

The grant underscores a growing industry trend of applying computational tools to streamline the biologics value chain.

For Evotec, the partnership reinforces its positioning as a leader in continuous manufacturing and AI-driven drug discovery, moving beyond traditional contract research into highly specialized, technology-integrated development.