Evogene Collaborates with Systasy to Develop New Therapies

Evogene, Systasy Bioscience and LMU University Hospital Munich, announced a collaboration aiming to accelerate the development of novel therapies for hyper-inflammatory diseases driven by dysregulated neutrophil activity, including inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. The collaboration brings together Evogene, Systasy, and Prof. Christoph Klein, from LMU University Hospital in collaboration with the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health, with additional participation from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. The program is supported by pan-European EUREKA grant, which was awarded to advance this international drug discovery effort. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases in which neutrophils play a key pathogenic role. Despite being first responders in inflammation and key drivers of tissue damage, neutrophils are not directly targeted by existing therapies, creating a significant unmet need for safe, selective, and effective new treatment approaches. The collaboration builds on Prof. Klein's clinical and scientific studies and insights derived from a rare genetic immunodeficiency. His team identified a novel inborn error of immunity associated with reduced numbers of neutrophil granulocytes, yet without marked functional defects of the immune system. Evogene will lead the small-molecule drug discovery effort using its proprietary ChemPass AI generative engine to design, optimize, and prioritize novel inhibitors. Together with the Weizmann Institute of Science, computational design will be tightly integrated with high-throughput experimental validation. Systasy will leverage its proprietary DNA barcoding technology to expand the PathwayProfiler platform for multiplexed profiling of stem cell-derived neutrophils, generating high-dimensional functional data to validate and refine Evogene's AI-designed inhibitors. The Department of Pediatrics at LMU's Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, led by Prof. Christoph Klein, will apply advanced stem cell biology and precision diagnostics to validate lead compounds in innovative human in vitro neutrophil models, while also supporting biomarker discovery and translational strategies aimed at personalized immunology and future clinical development.