Evotec AG will receive €1.5m from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as a research grant to advance its H3 receptor antagonist programme.

Evotec has identified and optimised H3 receptor antagonists for preclinical development and the grant will enable it to initiate Phase I clinical studies.

The histamine H3 receptor is a drug target as blocking it in brain can improve alertness and cognition.

H3 receptor antagonists are expected to become a new class of therapy in CNS indications and excessive fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis.