In the field of anti-infectives, Evotec is involved in a number of activities in the global fight against COVID-19, virology, and antibiotic resistance and closed additional collaborations. Evotec initiated multiple partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (especially in Tuberculosis). Furthermore, after period-end, Evotec started the clinical development of a therapeutic antibody for the treatment of chikungunya virus infection with NIAID and a leading academic research organisation.

In 2020, Evotec's academic BRIDGE model was accelerated through the launch of Autobahn Labs and the first spin-off of Lab282, Dark Blue Therapeutics. The Company made further new investments in promising Biotech companies, Curexsys, leon-nanodrugs, panCELLa, Quantro Therapeutics, and participated in follow-on financings of e.g. Eternygen, Exscientia, Facio, and Topas.

Despite the circumstances of COVID-19, the EVT Execute segment continued to demonstrate strong progress in 2020 with new and extended alliances. In 2020, Evotec was involved in 829 alliances and recorded a repeat business of 90%. With the opening of the gene therapy R&D centre Evotec GT and a multi-year gene therapy research alliance with Takeda in April 2020, Evotec added an important component to its fully integrated, modality-agnostic drug discovery & development platform. Just - Evotec Biologics continued its strong growth with important new partnerships, e.g. ABL, Ology, OncoResponse, US DOD. The building of J.POD^(R) 1 US in Redmond remains on track to start operations in H2. Furthermore, the decision to initiate J.POD^(R) 2 EU in Toulouse has been taken, and will be put in action still in H1 2021.

"THE DATA-DRIVEN R&D AUTOBAHN TO CURES"

The updated strategy roadmap of Evotec is called Action Plan 2025 "The data-driven R&D Autobahn to Cures", and will be implemented in 2021. Action Plan 2025 consists of eight strategic building blocks. These building blocks perfectly fit to the strategy to increase innovation and accelerate growth of Evotec towards 2025 and beyond. Most elements within Evotec's strategy start with human databases and modern artificial intelligence instruments to accelerate drug discovery & development projects. More detailed information on the Action Plan 2025 can be found in the Annual Report 2020 on our website. (Please click here)

Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, commented: "Excellence in all modalities from discovery to commercial manufacturing, human databases and modern artificial intelligence to accelerate the drug discovery & development are the key drivers for for Action Plan 2025. 2020 was a key year to generate the strategic evidence and data for our long term vision."

FINANCIAL GUIDANCE 2021 - CONTINUED STRONG GROWTH

In 2021, Evotec expects Group revenues to grow in a range of EUR 550-570 m. At unchanged exchange rates compared to 2020, this range is EUR 565 m to EUR 585 m. This assumption is based on current orders on hand, foreseeable new contracts and the extension of contracts as well as prospective milestone payments.

Regardless of the challenges arising from COVID-19, Evotec still expects the adjusted Group EBITDA to grow to EUR 105 - 120 m. At unchanged exchange rates in 2020, this would represent a growth to around EUR 115 - 130 m. This projection takes account of increasing expenses for promising R&D projects and the ramp-up of the Just - Evotec Biologics business via investments, the expansion of the J.POD^(R) 1 US capacities, and plans to initiate J.POD^(R) 2 EU in Toulouse still in H1 2021.

Evotec's activities are all related to research and development ("R&D"). Aside from the partnered and funded R&D, Evotec will invest in its own unpartnered R&D more than ever before to further expand its pipeline of first-in-class projects and platforms. Evotec expects unpartnered R&D investments in this area between EUR 50 and 60 m in 2021. Revenues, research and development expenses, and adjusted EBITDA remain the financial key performance indicators of the Evotec Group. 


                                             Guidance 2021 Guidance 2021^1) at constant FX Actual 2020 
Group revenues from contracts with customers EUR 550 - 570 m                   EUR 565 - 585 m   EUR 500.9 m 
Unpartnered R&D expenses                     EUR 50 m - 60 m                               -    EUR 46.4 m 
Adjusted Group EBITDA^2)                     EUR 105 - 120 m                   EUR 115 - 130 m   EUR 106.6 m

1) FX 2020: USD/EUR 1.15; EUR/GBP 1.13 2) EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of intangibles. Adjusted EBITDA excludes contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and impairments on goodwill, other intangible and tangible assets as well as the total non-operating result

Webcast/Conference Call The Company is going to hold a conference call to discuss the results as well as to provide an update on its performance. Furthermore, the Management Board will present an outlook for fiscal year 2021. The conference call will be held in English.

Conference call details Date: Thursday, 25 March 2021 Time: 02.00 pm CET (09.00 am EDT, 01.00 pm GMT)

From Germany: +49 69 201 744 220 From France: +33 170 709 502 From Italy: +39 02 3600 6663 From the UK: +44 20 3009 2470 From the USA: +1 877 423 0830 Access Code: 54325009#

A simultaneous slide presentation for participants dialling in via phone is available at https://www.webcast-eqs.com /evotec20210325/no-audio.

Webcast details To join the audio webcast and to access the presentation slides you will find a link on our home page www.evotec.com shortly before the event.

A replay of the conference call will be available for 24 hours and can be accessed in Europe by dialling +49 69 201744221 (Germany) or +44 20 3364 5150 (UK) and in the USA by dialling +1 (844) 307-9362. The access code is 315614520 #. The on-demand version of the webcast will be available on our website: www.evotec.com/financial-reports NOTE Just - Evotec Biologics (former Just.Bio) was acquired effective 02 July, 2019. Effective 01 April 2020, Evotec GT started its operations. Furthermore, the acquisition of the assets (land and buildings) and people of BBS Biopark in Toulouse was effective on 01 July 2020. All three units were fully consolidated in the Group numbers from the respective dates onwards.

ABOUT EVOTEC SE Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide and our more than 3,500 employees provide the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery and development solutions. We cover all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery and development (EVT Execute). The Company has established a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuronal diseases, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain and inflammation, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, fibrosis, rare diseases and women's health. On this basis, Evotec has built a broad and deep pipeline of more than 100 co-owned product opportunities at clinical, pre-clinical and discovery stages (EVT Innovate). Evotec has established multiple long-term alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, CHDI, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, UCB and others. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @Evotec.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. IR Contact Evotec SE: Volker Braun, SVP Head of Global Investor Relations & ESG, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-775, volker.braun@evotec.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2021-03-25 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Language:     English 
Company:      Evotec SE 
              Manfred Eigen Campus / Essener Bogen 7 
              22419 Hamburg 
              Germany 
Phone:        +49 (0)40 560 81-0 
Fax:          +49 (0)40 560 81-222 
E-mail:       info@evotec.com 
Internet:     www.evotec.com 
ISIN:         DE0005664809 
WKN:          566480 
Indices:      MDAX, TecDAX 
Listed:       Regulated Market in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, 
              Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange 
EQS News ID:  1178196 
 
End of News   DGAP News Service 
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1178196 2021-03-25

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 25, 2021 02:02 ET (06:02 GMT)