Just - Evotec Biologics Advances U.S. Department of War Antibodies Against Orthopoxvirus into Phase 1 Clinical Studies

SEATTLE and HAMBURG, Germany , Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Evotec SE (NASDAQ: EVO ) (Frankfurt Prime Standard: EVT) today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating JST-018, a cocktail of investigational monoclonal antibodies targeting orthopoxviruses, developed by its biologics CDMO subsidiary Just – Evotec Biologics under the U.S. Department of War's Accelerated Antibodies Program.

Under the Accelerated Antibodies Program, Just – Evotec Biologics advanced the orthopoxvirus program from antibody sequence selection through preclinical development, process development, regulatory submission and cGMP manufacture of clinical trial materials. Manufacturing was completed at the company's J.POD® facility in Redmond, Washington, utilizing its continuous bioprocessing platform.

This milestone delivers on the scope of Just – Evotec Biologics' 2023 contract with the U.S. Department of War to progress antibody-based drug candidates against orthopoxviruses from continuous manufacturing process development through first-in-human clinical evaluation.

The investigational antibody, JST-018, is being developed as a prophylactic therapy intended to help protect warfighters who may face an elevated risk of exposure to biological threats.

Linda Zuckerman, PhD, EVP Global Head of Just – Evotec Biologics, said: "This program exemplifies the power of our integrated continuous manufacturing platform for biologics to advance seamlessly from sequence optimization to clinical evaluation. Through close collaboration with the Department of War, we manufactured and delivered JST-018 as an urgently needed medical countermeasure for the U.S. government under the Accelerated Antibodies Program."

Orthopoxviruses include the variola virus, which causes smallpox, as well as the virus responsible for mpox. The virus family remains an important focus of biodefense and global public health preparedness. The continuous manufacturing platform at Just – Evotec Biologics provides a rapid and cost-effective approach for these important medical countermeasures.

The orthopoxvirus program is Just – Evotec Biologics' second under the U.S. Department of War's Accelerated Antibodies Program, following an initial 2022 program award to support the development of monoclonal antibodies against plague. Together, the two previously announced contracts have a combined potential value of up to $123.9 million.

The orthopoxvirus contract was awarded to Just – Evotec Biologics in 2023 by the U.S. Department of War's Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE-CBRND), in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), through the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC) Other Transaction Authority, under contract number MCDC2203-001.

Reference to the Department of War, CPE-CBRND, or other agency of the United States does not constitute or imply an endorsement or recommendation by the United States Government or any agency thereof.

Additional information regarding the study is available on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07595458).