EVGN News & Events

Evogene announced a collaboration with the research group of Dr. Mark Adams, a cancer genomics expert in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology, or QUT, Australia. This partnership aims to accelerate the discovery and optimization of novel small molecules as potential drug candidates for the treatment of chemotherapy and targeted therapy-resistant non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, as well as other cancers. Resistance to standard-of-care chemotherapies and targeted therapies remain a major hurdle in treating patients with aggressive cancers, such as NSCLC. Based on breakthrough findings from Dr. Adams' lab uncovering a novel druggable cellular detoxification pathway driving Cisplatin resistance in NSCLC, this collaboration aims to design novel small-molecule inhibitors that effectively block this critical mechanism and restore treatment sensitivity. The collaboration seeks to introduce a new therapeutic strategy for overcoming chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer.

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.

Evogene (EVGN) announced an expanded phase of its collaboration with Google (GOOG) Cloud. Under this new phase, the collaboration will focus on developing and integrating advanced AI Agents into Evogene's ChemPass AI platform, its proprietary engine for small-molecule discovery and optimization, using Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform. The goal is to increase the speed, precision, and efficiency of identifying and optimizing small molecules for drug and ag-chemical development. This announcement marks the second milestone in the partnership between Evogene and Google Cloud, following the collaboration focused on building a generative AI foundation model that now serves as a core component of ChemPass AI.

Evogene and Shanghai Lishan Biopharmaceuticals announced that Biomica, Evogene's subsidiary and Lishan Biotech entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement for BMC128, a microbiome-based therapeutic designed to enhance anti-tumor immune activity. BMC128 was developed by Biomica and is currently completing a Phase 1 clinical study, showing promising early clinical results. BMC128 is a live biopharmaceutical consortium composed of four human gut bacterial strains with defined functional capabilities that enhance responses to immunotherapy and stimulate anti-tumor immune activity. BMC128 is currently completing a Phase 1 clinical study in renal cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer and has demonstrated encouraging early clinical promise. Under the agreement, Lishan Biotech will assume responsibility for global clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of BMC128. Biomica will be eligible to receive development milestone payments and royalties on future commercial sales, in accordance with an agreed-upon schedule. Lishan Biotech plans to advance BMC128 into a Phase 2 clinical study and to pursue regulatory filings in both China and the United States for future commercialization.