Just-Evotec Biologics, has recently received a new grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support global access to biotherapeutics through advanced molecular design technologies.

The investment will enable ten new projects over the next three years, focused on molecular optimisation of biologics using Just-Evotec Biologics’ proprietary computational design suite, J.MD. These projects will address critical parameters such as pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and molecular stability, with the goal of improving developability while significantly reducing the cost of goods.

The grant continues the Gates Foundation’s support for initiatives aimed at improving the affordability and accessibility of Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs), particularly for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Under the programme, the company will optimise mAbs and other biologic modalities targeting multiple global health disease indications.

Commenting on the development, Dr. Linda Zuckerman, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Just-Evotec Biologics, said, “The grant reinforces the company’s mission to expand global access to biologics. Leveraging the J.DESIGN platform will help drive impactful solutions across multiple disease areas while reducing the overall cost of biologics development.”

Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer, Evotec, added that the continued collaboration reflects a shared commitment to accelerating the development of biotherapeutics that address urgent and unmet medical needs, while supporting the broader global health research ecosystem.

As part of the grant terms, the company will leverage its J.MD Molecular Design service, a core component of the broader J.DESIGN platform. The platform integrates advanced computational tools with high-throughput methodologies to streamline biologics development from the earliest stages. By prioritising manufacturability, stability and efficacy early in design, J.MD helps minimise liabilities such as immunogenicity and instability, enabling scalable and cost-efficient production.

The latest funding builds on a collaboration between Just-Evotec Biologics and the Gates Foundation that began in 2014. Since then, the partnership has delivered multiple cGMP manufacturing campaigns for monoclonal antibodies targeting diseases such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), malaria and HIV.