MaRS Innovation and Evotec AG (FSE:EVT) have launched LAB150, a Toronto-based partnership to tap infrastructure and drug discovery expertise of Evotec and drug discovery projects from the 15-member institutions of MaRS.
The goal of the new partnership is to significantly shorten the drug discovery timeline and generate viable start-up companies with high potential for success.
MaRS will identify projects and build technical and business cases from scientific concepts that focus on first-in-class and disease-related novel biological pathways. Evotec will contribute infrastructure and preclinical drug development expertise to translate discoveries into potential medicines.
MaRS is Evotec’s first North American partnership. Supported by financial contributions from MaRS and Evotec, the five-year partnership has the potential to accelerate development and commercialization of Canadian therapies for global markets.
MaRS and Evotec are already collaborating on other projects, notably Toronto-based Fibrocor Therapeutics, which is focusing on developing first-in-class therapeutics targeting fibrotic diseases.
