Evotec Biologics starts Phase 1 trial for orthopoxvirus antibodies

Evotec SE has announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial for JST-018, a cocktail of investigational monoclonal antibodies designed to target orthopoxviruses. The program was developed by Just – Evotec Biologics, a subsidiary of Evotec, under the U.S. Department of War’s Accelerated Antibodies Program.

Orthopoxviruses, which include the viruses responsible for smallpox, are classified as a high-priority biological threat. The JST-018 cocktail is being developed as a prophylactic therapy to protect military personnel from potential exposure to biological threats.

The development process included antibody sequence selection, preclinical development, and the manufacturing of clinical trial materials. Manufacturing was conducted at the company’s J. POD® facility in Redmond, Washington, using a continuous bioprocessing platform to demonstrate scalable models for biodefense preparedness.