Key Takeaways
- Evogene Ltd. pivots to focus on computational chemistry, utilizing AI for drug discovery and agricultural products.
- The ChemPass AI™ platform enhances the drug design process, increasing speed and efficiency by optimizing candidates before synthesis.
- Collaborations with biotechnology companies aim to develop new small molecules for both pharmaceuticals and crop protection, addressing urgent industry needs.
Evogene Transitions to AI-Driven Drug Discovery
Small molecules serve as a foundation for most current medicines and crop protection products, yet creating effective new compounds poses significant challenges. With an estimated 10⁶⁰ potential drug-like structures to explore, traditional methods often lead to late-stage failures in development, wasting both time and resources. Recent advancements in computational chemistry, particularly through artificial intelligence (AI), are reshaping this sector. Since 2019, approximately $60 billion has been invested in AI-focused drug discovery, leading to over 200 AI-derived candidates entering clinical trials by early 2026.
Evogene Ltd. (Nasdaq/TASE: EVGN) has undergone a strategic shift over the past two years, transforming from a diversified life-science holding company into a computational chemistry entity centered on innovative AI technologies. The company’s proprietary engine, ChemPass AI™, plays a crucial role in this evolution, designed to navigate the vast chemical landscape to identify new small-molecule candidates for both pharmaceuticals and agricultural use.
Advancements through ChemPass AI
ChemPass AI™ has recently expanded its searchable virtual library from 36 billion to around 110 billion vendor-accessible compounds, enhancing its capability to streamline drug discovery. This comprehensive platform integrates a robust dataset acquired from internal research and collaborations, optimizing the time-consuming traditional process—often exceeding a decade and costing over a billion dollars to bring new drugs to market. By integrating efficiencies early in the design phase, ChemPass AI assesses key parameters such as efficacy, safety, and manufacturability prior to molecule synthesis.
In partnership with Google Cloud, Evogene is advancing the integration of AI agents into its workflows, aiming for an increasingly autonomous molecule discovery process. These agents help define a target product profile (TPP) at the outset, aggregating necessary data to ensure all parameters are addressed right from the start. Consequently, processes that previously took weeks or months can now be completed in minutes, enabling Evogene to manage multiple discovery programs simultaneously.
Combining Internal Development with Partnerships
Evogene’s strategy combines internal drug discovery with external partnerships, leveraging its technology across various therapeutic areas, including human health and crop protection. The internal program has progressed from initial drug discovery (Hit-to-Lead) to Lead Optimization, focusing on proprietary molecules destined for preclinical development. As of early 2026, Evogene has formed four new partnerships, totaling six active collaborations across biotechnology companies and academic institutions, targeting conditions such as oncology and inflammation, while retaining significant commercial rights to the discoveries.
Addressing Agricultural Needs
The cultivation of crops also demands innovative small molecules, particularly as resistance to existing fungicides becomes an increasing threat. The fungicide market is valued at roughly $22 billion, yet the need for new chemistry is critical due to the withdrawal of older active ingredients in Europe.
Evogene operates a specialized agricultural branch, ChemPass AI for Ag™, under its AgPlenus subsidiary. A recent breakthrough includes a model predicting antifungal potency from molecular structure alone, optimizing the candidates for lab development. ChemPass has already identified a novel action mode against Septoria wheat blotch, and this program is nearing completion of Lead Optimization, with synthesized molecules undergoing advanced biological testing before field trials.
By merging pharmaceutical and agricultural development, Evogene is poised to address essential market needs. The effectiveness of these AI-designed molecules in clinical development remains to be seen, but Evogene’s forward-thinking approach positions it as a leader in the evolving landscape of drug discovery and agricultural innovation.
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