Evotec, a biopharmaceutical company based in Hamburg, Germany, has received a $5 million payment from Bristol Myers Squibb. This payment comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a request to start testing a new drug in people. This drug is designed to treat certain diseases by breaking down specific proteins in the body. The drug was developed as part of a partnership between Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb. The companies expect to start testing this drug in people in 2026. The payment is a sign of progress in their partnership, which aims to develop new treatments for people with serious health conditions. The partnership, which began in 2018 and expanded in 2022, combines Evotec’s advanced drug discovery techniques with Bristol Myers Squibb’s library of drugs that can break down proteins. The goal is to find new ways to treat cancer and other diseases. Cord Dohrmann, the Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, said: ‘We are excited to have reached this important milestone in our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb. This brings us one step closer to testing the first drug from our pipeline in people. This approval shows the strength of our partnership and the potential to develop new treatments for patients.’ Molecular glue degraders work by causing a specific protein in the body to break down another target protein. Unlike traditional drugs, which only work while they are attached to a receptor, these molecular glues can repeatedly cause the target protein to break down. This can lead to longer-lasting effects and the ability to treat a wider range of diseases. Evotec’s advanced platforms help in selecting the most promising drugs by using high-throughput proteomics and transcriptomics, along with advanced data analytics.