Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with elevated LDL cholesterol levels serving as a major modifiable risk factor. While currently approved PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) therapies have demonstrated significant clinical efficacy, their injectable delivery format, high cost, and access limitations continue to create substantial unmet patient and market needs. Emerging oral approaches are advancing through clinical development; however, there remains a significant opportunity for differentiated, next-generation oral small molecules with improved potency, safety, bioavailability, and patient accessibility.

The global PCSK9 inhibitor market is projected to expand from approximately $4.4 billion in 2025 to more than $23 billion by 2035¹, representing a significant commercial opportunity. Through this collaboration, Evogene and ELEO will leverage their complementary capabilities to identify, generate, and validate novel oral small-molecule candidates targeting the PCSK9 pathway.

Under the collaboration, Evogene will utilize its proprietary ChemPass AI™ platform, its advanced computational chemistry engine designed for generative molecular design, to create, optimize, and prioritize novel small-molecule candidates based on critical drug development parameters, including oral potency, bioavailability, selectivity, and drug-like properties. ELEO will contribute its proprietary biological expertise, including target validation capabilities, PCSK9 expression suppression models, and screening platforms, to experimentally validate and refine computationally designed candidates.

This integrated approach is intended to accelerate the discovery process, improve candidate selection, and advance the most promising molecules toward preclinical development.

The parties intend to explore potential strategic opportunities, including clinical development pathways, licensing collaborations, and partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies seeking innovative solutions in the cardiovascular disease market.

Dr. Kyungseop Ahn, CEO and Co-founder of ELEO Inc., commented: “At ELEO, our discovery approach is rooted in the rich bioactive potential of natural products. This foundation has led us to identify a PCSK9 inhibitor candidate with a novel mechanism for addressing hyperlipidemia and related cardiovascular diseases. We are excited to combine this biological insight with Evogene’s ChemPass AI™ platform to advance a new generation of oral small-molecule PCSK9 inhibitor candidates that could meaningfully expand treatment options for patients with atherosclerosis.”

Ofer Haviv, President and CEO of Evogene, stated: “This collaboration with ELEO represents a compelling opportunity to apply Evogene’s advanced AI-driven computational capabilities to one of the most significant therapeutic areas in cardiovascular medicine. ELEO brings important biological expertise and a promising approach to targeting the PCSK9 pathway, while our ChemPass AI™ platform is uniquely positioned to design and optimize challenging small-molecule candidates. Together, we aim to advance differentiated, next-generation therapeutic candidates with significant potential value for future strategic partners and the global healthcare market.”

About Evogene Ltd.

Evogene Ltd. (Nasdaq: EVGN) (TASE: EVGN) is a pioneering company in computational specializing in the generative design of small molecules for drug development and ag-chemical products. At the core of its technology is ChemPass AI™ a proprietary generative AI designed to explore vast chemical space and generate novel, highly potent small molecules optimized across multiple critical parameters. Built on this powerful technological foundation, and through strategic partnerships alongside internal product development, Evogene is focused on products for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, driven by the integration of scientific innovation with real-world industry needs.

For more information, please visit www.evogene.com.

About ELEO Inc.

ELEO Inc. is a South Korean biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing innovative oral therapeutics rooted in natural product science. By combining deep expertise in natural product pharmacology and target identification with modern drug discovery platforms, ELEO pursues novel mechanisms of action for chronic and intractable diseases where significant unmet medical needs remain.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events. These statements may be identified by words such as “may,” “could,” “expects,” “hopes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “scheduled,” “estimates,” “demonstrates”, “designed to,” “intended to,” “with the goal of,” or words of similar meaning. For example, Evogene uses forward-looking statements in this press release when it discusses: the collaboration to discover and develop next-generation oral small-molecule inhibitors targeting the PCSK9 pathway for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases; the collaboration to accelerate innovation, reduce development timelines, and enhance the potential for successful translation into clinically meaningful therapies; and potential strategic opportunities, including clinical development pathways, licensing collaborations, and partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, describe opinions about future events, involve certain risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and are not guarantees of future performance. Therefore, actual future results, performance or achievements of Evogene and its subsidiaries may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of Evogene and its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, the aftermath of the recent wars between Israel and each of (i) the terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, (ii) Iran, and (iii) other regional terrorist groups supported by Iran, and any potential destabilizations in Israel, neighboring territories or the Middle East region, and those additional risk factors contained in Evogene’s reports filed with the applicable securities authority.  In addition, Evogene and its subsidiaries rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct certain activities, such as their and pre-clinical studies, and if these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, Evogene and its subsidiaries may experience significant delays in the conduct of their activities. Evogene and its subsidiaries disclaim any obligation or commitment to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments or changes in expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.

Investor Relations Contact:

ir@evogene.com
Tel: +972-8-9311901

SOURCE Evogene; ELEO Inc.