Evotec create new BRIDGE Partnership
Evotec SE announced that it has entered into a new strategic partnership with the British clinical AI technology company Sensyne Health plc, the University of Oxford, Oxford University Innovation Ltd (“OUI”, the university's research commercialisation company), and Oxford Sciences Innovation (“OSI”, the world's largest IP investment company dedicated to a single university) to fund a new BRIDGE called LAB10x.
This BRIDGE is aimed at accelerating the translation of research in the fields of clinical artificial intelligence and digital health at Oxford into forming new companies applying breakthrough digital solutions, clinical AI algorithms and accelerated data-driven drug discovery and development.
Under the terms of the agreement, digital health projects will be sourced exclusively from Oxford researchers via OUI and will be aided by an expert in residence seconded by Sensyne to the LAB10x initiative and embedded in the university. The technologies developed by LAB10x will be applied to generate and analyse anonymised patient datasets to improve patient outcomes and accelerate medical research and pharmaceutical R&D.
The partnership brings together Sensyne’s strength in clinical AI and digital health with Evotec’s leading drug discovery and development expertise to leverage the world-class science at Oxford. The University of Oxford was recently ranked as world No 1 in medical science, engineering science and computer science, the three fields most relevant to the focus of LAB10x.
LAB10x will be supported by a fund of approx. £ 5 m (approx. € 5.6 m) for an initial period of three years.
Evotec will provide access to its drug discovery expertise while Sensyne will exclusively contribute its clinical AI and digital health expertise and regulated software development and data analysis environment under its Quality Management System to select projects and develop them to the point of commercial proof of concept.
Evotec and Sensyne will be entitled to equity in new LAB10x spin-out companies together with Oxford University and its academic researchers. Both companies, together with OSI, will have the right to co-invest in seed financing rounds. Where company creation is not the chosen commercial path, Sensyne will have the right to acquire a license to IP generated by the selected projects. Sensyne and Evotec are also exploring other opportunities for collaboration.
Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, said: “The medicine of the future will see radical change, driven by the continuing expansion of drug discovery technologies like artificial intelligence and healthcare mega trends like digital health. Evotec and our partners will continue to invest in these areas and we are pleased to launch LAB10x with Sensyne, OSI, OUI, and the University of Oxford. Today’s announcement demonstrates the power of forming public-private partnerships in drug discovery to create the next generation of medicines in an effective and efficient manner.”
Lord (Paul) Drayson, CEO of Sensyne Health, said: “LAB10x will leverage Sensyne’s expertise in digital health and clinical AI, our regulated development environment and our unique partnership model with the University of Oxford and NHS Trusts, to ensure the science is brought through to application as quickly and efficiently as possible – delivering benefits for patients and creating significant value.”
Dr Matt Perkins, CEO of Oxford University Innovation, said: “Building on LAB282, the pioneering public-private drug discovery partnership model that has now been replicated around the world, LAB10x aims to combine the rapidly growing body of world class research in data-driven health innovation at Oxford with expertise, resources and an industry standard development framework for digital health innovations. Today’s announcement provides a solution to a significant unmet need that has the potential to maximise the global impact of Oxford’s research and expertise, leading to better healthcare technologies, disease insights, treatments and cures.”
Professor Gavin Screaton, Head of Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, said: “Digital health solutions and data-driven insights often require a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together clinicians, medical researchers, engineers and computer scientists. With world leaders in these fields, it is no surprise that Oxford University is generating a wealth of exciting innovations in this space and it is vital that this is matched by high quality translational support which increases the likelihood of future societal benefits. LAB10x has huge potential to maximise the impact of medical research and innovation in Oxford.”
The LAB10x name was chosen by the partners collectively to signify how critical data-driven healthcare can be accelerated from concept to innovation ten times faster, as the result of the cumulative experience of the LAB10x partners involved and by applying an agile development methodology within a regulated framework.
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