Evotec has secured a global licensing agreement with Roche, potentially worth up to US$830 M, for the development and commercialisation of its investigational Alzheimer’s disease drug, EVT-302. Roche will initiate a Phase IIb study of EVT-302 in 2012 in order to demonstrate proof-of-concept and will support all clinical development, manufacturing and commercialisation activities. Interestingly, Evotec had previously licensed the drug candidate from Roche in 2006, but it failed to demonstrate proof-of-concept in smoking cessation in a Phase II study.