Evotec AG has announced a research collaboration with the laboratories of Roger Briesewitz at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, or OSUCCC - James. The objective of the collaboration is to progress a novel mechanism for engaging the KRas target discovered at The Ohio State University using Evotec's technology platform and broad expertise in drug discovery and preclinical development, thereby validating and progressing novel leads into pharmaceutically developable candidates. KRas is a small GTPase regulating the RAS/MAPK signalling cascade that governs cell division.

Mutations in KRas are early transforming events in tumourigenesis and are highly prevalent in lethal cancers such as lung, colon and pancreatic cancer.