Just – Evotec given Gates Foundation grant to increase global biotherapeutics access
Esme Needham | January 8, 2026 | News story | Research and Development | Gates Foundation, Just – Evotec Biologics
Evotec has announced that its subsidiary, Just – Evotec Biologics, has received a Gates Foundation grant with the goal of increasing worldwide access to biotherapeutics through its J.MD molecular design suite.
Certain recipients of grants from the Gates Foundation have been encouraged to improve manufacture, and reduce cost, of monoclonal antibody drugs. The goal of this initiative is to increase drug affordability and accessibility in low- and middle-income countries, slowing the spread of infectious disease.
The terms of the grant state that Just – Evotec will use its J.MD Molecular Design service, which makes up part of its J.DESIGN platform, to optimise molecular design for new drug projects. The service is designed to expedite and streamline the development of drugs through a combination of advanced tools and high-throughput methodologies.
Just – Evotec plans to begin ten new J.MD-enabled projects in the next three years via the Gates Foundation investment. The drugs created by these projects will target key disease indications across the globe.
Since 2014, Just – Evotec has developed Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP)-compliant campaigns for monoclonal antibodies targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), malaria and HIV.
Dr Cord Dohrmann, chief scientific officer of Evotec, said: “This new grant… enables us to harness Just – Evotec Biologics’ advanced platforms and scientific expertise to support the broader research ecosystem. This partnership strengthens our shared mission to accelerate the development of biotherapeutics that address urgent and unmet medical needs.”
“This new grant from the Gates Foundation [will] strengthen our commitment to reducing the cost of biologics development to expand global access,” added Dr Linda Zuckerman, executive vice president and global head of Just – Evotec.
Evotec is a life sciences company focusing on the discovery and development of drugs.
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