Convergence Pharma and Evotec collaborate on chronic pain drugs

Independent UK biotech firm Convergence Pharmaceuticals has entered into a research alliance with Germany’s Evotec (EVT: Xetra), a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

A Convergence subsidiary, Panion, has been awarded a Technology Strategy Board Biomedical Catalyst Early Stage Round 2 £2.4 million ($4 million) grant, in order to discover and develop compounds against a novel GPCR pain target.

Evotec will be responsible for undertaking key drug discovery activities and will work closely with Panion over a three-year period to identify suitable preclinical candidates, subsequently taking a lead candidate to Phase I ready status. Convergence and Evotec will then jointly progress the assets into the clinic or via partnering collaborations.