Evogene and Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery (BCDD) have announced a collaboration that aims to expedite the development of small-molecule drug discovery originating from Israeli academic research.

Facilitated by Ramot, which manages technology transfer for Tel Aviv University, the agreement will combine computational and experimental tools for academic teams and scientific entrepreneurs seeking to advance early-stage drug candidates.

The partnership will provide a framework connecting Evogene’s AI-based computational chemistry engine, ChemPass AI, with the BCDD’s laboratory infrastructure and translational expertise.

Evogene stated that many projects in academia do not progress due to the absence of integrated capabilities, including computational drug design and experimental validation facilities.

The initiative seeks to address these obstacles by making resources of both entities available to selected academic and entrepreneurial ventures.

Key elements of the collaboration include an integrated Design-Make-Test-Analyse (DMTA) workflow.

The joint team will review projects that have emerged from Israeli academic institutions and entrepreneurial ventures, with the intention of applying ChemPass AI to design and optimise novel small molecules.

The BCDD will contribute by providing experimental validation, screening processes, and development support through its laboratory capabilities.

Evogene president and CEO Ofer Haviv said: “Israel’s academic institutions generate world-class discoveries and novel therapeutic targets. However, many entrepreneurs and researchers face significant hurdles in transforming these scientific insights into viable drug development programmes.

“Through this collaboration with the Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery, we are creating a unique framework that combines advanced AI-driven computational chemistry with world-class experimental validation capabilities. This collaboration represents an excellent way to broaden the pipeline of drug candidates developed by Evogene’s unique technology.

“Researchers focused on biological targets, particularly molecular glues and complex proteins, and interested in identifying small-molecule therapeutics are invited to contact the Blavatnik Institute. We look forward to identifying suitable projects for potential joint support.”

Earlier this year, Evogene partnered with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia to progress the development of AI-driven small molecule cancer therapeutics.