Evogene collaborates with Blavatnik Center to advance Israeli biotech ecosystem

ISRAEL—Evogene has entered a new collaboration with Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery (BCDD) to accelerate the development of promising small-molecule medicines emerging from Israeli academic research and entrepreneurial ventures.

The initiative aims to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and drug development by combining artificial intelligence with experimental validation.

The collaboration is being facilitated by Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer company, which helps commercialise innovations developed at the institution.

Under the agreement, researchers will gain access to an integrated platform that combines Evogene’s AI-powered computational chemistry engine, ChemPass AI, with the BCDD’s laboratory infrastructure and drug discovery expertise.

The partners said many promising academic discoveries fail to advance because researchers often lack access to both advanced computational drug-design tools and the laboratory facilities needed to validate potential drug candidates.

This new framework seeks to overcome those barriers by offering both capabilities through a single collaborative programme.

Integrated discovery platform

At the heart of the collaboration is an integrated Design-Make-Test-Analyse (DMTA) workflow that streamlines the early stages of drug discovery.

A joint scientific team will evaluate projects originating from Israeli universities and startup ventures.

Selected programmes will use ChemPass AI to identify, design and optimise novel small molecules against promising biological targets.

Meanwhile, scientists at the Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery will conduct laboratory testing, biological screening, and experimental validation to determine whether the AI-designed compounds have therapeutic potential.

The centre will also provide translational development support to help promising candidates advance further toward clinical development.

Evogene President and CEO Ofer Haviv said Israel’s universities continue to generate world-class scientific discoveries and novel therapeutic targets.

However, he noted that many researchers and entrepreneurs struggle to convert those discoveries into viable drug development programmes.

According to Haviv, the collaboration combines advanced AI-driven computational chemistry with world-class laboratory validation to expand the pipeline of drug candidates generated through ChemPass AI.

He added that researchers working on challenging biological targets, including molecular glues and complex proteins, are encouraged to engage with the programme to explore potential joint projects.

Building on recent AI advances

The announcement comes only weeks after Evogene reported a major milestone in its ongoing collaboration with Google Cloud.

The company recently integrated autonomous AI agents into ChemPass AI to improve early target profiling, automate parts of the discovery process, and identify promising molecules more efficiently.

The upgraded platform is designed to shorten discovery timelines while increasing the chances of identifying successful drug candidates.

The latest partnership also builds on Evogene’s expanding network of academic collaborations.

Earlier this year, the company joined forces with Queensland University of Technology in Australia to develop AI-driven small-molecule therapies targeting cancer and inflammatory diseases.